UNB, Dhaka :Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin and its director Mohammad Hossain have filed bail petitions with the High Court in two money-laundering cases.The two petitions were scheduled to come for hearing at the bench of Justice Nizamul Haque Nasim and Justice Zafar Ahmed on Monday. However, the hearing was not held on the day.Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Nazmul Haque said the petitions are likely to come for hearing on Tuesday.The two accused have been in jail custody for 24 months pending trial.On July 31, 2012, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two money-laundering cases against Destiny 2000 Limited chairman Lt General (retd) M Harunur Rashid and managing director Rafiqul Amin and 20 others on charge of misappropriating investors’ money amounting to Tk 3,285 crore.ACC deputy director Mozahar Ali Sarder filed one case with Kalabagan Police Station against 12 officials of Destiny 2000 Limited, including its chairman and managing director, under the Money Laundering Act 2012 for allegedly misappropriating over Tk 2,106 crore from the Destiny Tree Plantation Limited (DTPL). ACC assistant director Toufiqul Islam filed the other case with the same police station against 22 Destiny officials under the same act for alleged embezzlement of Tk 1,178 crore from the Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (DMCSL).On May 4 this year, the ACC submitted charge-sheets before the court in the two cases.According to the investigation report, nearly Tk 4,119 crore of investors’ money was swindled out from the two projects of Destiny Group.The report says the Destiny officials collected over Tk 2455.15 crore from its about 17.5 lakh investors by selling trees in different package under the Destiny Tree Plantation Limited (DTPL).During field visits to the Tree Plantation projects, the ACC investigation team found only 32.5 lakh trees worth about 22 crore. The illegal earnings of over Tk 2433 crore was laundered abroad in the name of importing MLM products, and their personal accounts.The report also says that the Destiny officials collected Tk 1935.5 crore from its 8.5 lakh investors under the Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (DMCSL) violating cooperative laws and rules.The officials transferred over Tk 1,861 crore to sister concerns of the Destiny Group and their bank accounts from the project for their illegal gains.Of over Tk 1,861 crore of laundered money, about Tk 44 crore was transferred to the Best Aviation Limited, Destiny Agro Industries Limited and Destiny Air System Limited.
