Chattogram Bureau :
A court of Chattogram convicts ex- Teknaf thana OC Pradip Kumar Das and his wife Chumki Karan to 20 and 21 years imprisonment in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of acquiring illegal wealth beyond income .
Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Munshi Abdul Majid’s court gave this verdict yesterday.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor Advocate Mahmudul Haque confirmed the matter to media. Two defendants were present in the court when the verdict was announced.
Advocate Sameer Dasgupta told media that under Section 26 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, Chumki was sentenced to 1 year in prison, 1 lakh taka fine in default of 1 month in prison, under section 27 (1) Pradeep and Chumki were sentenced to 8 years in prison, prevention of money laundering. Under Section 4 (2) and 4 (3) of Act 2012, Pradeep and Chumki were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Tk 4 crore, under Section 5 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, Pradeep and Chumki were sentenced to 2 years in prison and a fine of Tk 10,000.
On July 18, in the court of Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Munshi Abdul Majeed, the arguments of the ACC and the accused ended in this case. The judge then set July 27 as the date of verdict. On December 15, the court ordered the trial to begin by filing a complaint against Pradeep and Chumki. On February 17, testimony against Chumki began in court. However, the testimony did not start on that day as an application against the complaint against Pradeep in this case was not disposed of in the High Court. Later, on April 4, as the application was disposed of, testimony against Pradeep began.
29 people were witnesses in the case, but 24 witnesses testified in court on behalf of the ACC. 2 prosecution witnesses also testified. Although Chumki Karan was on the run since the beginning of the case, he surrendered to the court on May 23, the last day of the prosecution’s testimony.
August 23, 2020 Assistant Director of ACC. Riaz Uddin filed a case against Pradeep and Chumki for allegedly owning illegal assets. In the case, Pradeep and Chumki have been accused of acquiring assets outside known income of Tk 3 crore 95 lakh 5 thousand 635, concealing the information of assets and money laundering. After the investigation some changes were made in the amount. Assistant Director of ACC Riaz Uddin on July 28 last filed the complaint. The charge sheet was heard on September 1, 2021 in the presence of accused Pradeep. After the hearing, the court accepted the charge sheet. Accused of giving false information by concealing information of assets of Tk 49 lakh 58 thousand 957 in asset declaration and acquisition and transfer of assets other than declared income of Tk 2 crore 35 lakh 98 thousand 417 were charged.
Pradeep built a six-storey house in the name of his father-in-law in Patharghata area under Kotwali police station of the port city to hide the money earned through bribery and corruption. Later that house was donated daughter Chumki by his father . The house was acquired by Pradeep and his wife Chumki, though it was a deed of donation. In the income tax return, the accused Chumki commission business and the income of fish business in 5 ponds leased for 10 years in Boalkhali upazila under chattogram district have also been shown as fake business for the purpose of transfer, conversion and transfer of crime proceeds of Pradeep Das. Pradeep tried to legitimize his illegal wealth by dressing up his wife as a commission merchant and fishmonger.
The assets mentioned in the charge sheet are a six-storey building in Patharghata in the city, a semi-furnished house in Solashahar, 45 tolas of gold jewellery, a car and a microbus, bank accounts and a flat named after Chumki in Cox’s Bazar, court sources said.
