Court Correspondent :
The Special Judge Court-7 of Dhaka on Tuesday sentenced former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar to eight years in the prison in a case filed against him on charges of amassing illegal wealth and concealing information about his assets in wealth statement.
Judge Mohammad Shahidul Islam of the court pronounced the verdict in the case.
Earlier, on October 4, the court fixed October 12 to pronounce the verdict in the case.
During the closing hearing, the prosecution told the court that they proved the charges brought against Babar, and sought the highest punishment for him while the defence lawyers sought acquittal of the accused as the prosecution could not prove the charges against him. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Mirza Zahidul Islam filed the case against Babar with Ramna Model Police Station on January 13, 2008, for amassing illegal wealth worth Taka 7.05 crore and concealing information about his wealth. Deputy Assistant Director of the ACC Rupok Kumar Saha submitted the charge sheet of the case on July 16, 2008.
The court on August 12, 2008, indicted Babar in the case.
The witnesses completed testifying in the case on September 19 of this year while Babar gave his statement depending himself on September 21.
Babar was arrested from his Gulshan residence on May 28, 2007. He was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment in an arms case on October 30, 2007. Besides, he was awarded death in the ten-truck arms haul and August 21 grenade attack cases.
