Staff Reporter :
The High Court has admitted an appeal petition for hearing filed by Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin against his 12 years jail sentence and fine given by a special court in a case filed over embezzling Tk 18.61 billion through Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.
The High Court at the same time stayed a part of the trial court verdict that fined him Tk 2.0 billion in the case. The court also called for all records of the case from the trial court and directed to prepare paper book for appeal hearing in the case.
The High Court bench of Justice S M Kuddus Zaman and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the order on June 22 this year after primary hearing on the appeal petition filed by Rafiqul Amin.
Lawyer Uzzal Kumar Bhowmick appeared in the court hearing on behalf of Rafiqul Amin.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said that Rafiqul Amin’s lawyer placed the petition for hearing without noticing the ACC. The fine cannot be stayed, added the lawyer.
Earlier on May 12 in 2022, a special court in Dhaka sentenced all the 46 accused, including Destiny Group President Gen Harun-Ar-Rashid and Managing Director Rafiqul Amin, to different terms of imprisonment in a case filed over embezzling Tk 18.61 billion through Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.
Harun-Ar-Rashid was sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined Tk 35 million and Rafiqul Amin was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment and fined Tk 2.0 billion. The court awarded minimum imprisonment to the former Chief of Army considering his noble contribution to our great liberation war.
Judge of the Special Judge’s Court-4 in Dhaka, Shaikh Nazmul Alam, delivered the verdict after concluding all the proceedings of the case.
During the admission of the appeal petition filed by General Harun the High Court on June 9 this year also directed the concerned bodies of the government to immediately take necessary steps to arrest 39 convicts who have been absconding in the case.
Inspector general of police (IGP), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other law enforcing agencies have been asked to comply with the direction.
The Anti-Corruption Commission on July 31, 2012, filed two cases under Money Laundering Prevention Act with capital’s Kalabagan Police Station.
In one case, 46 people were accused of misappropriating Tk 18.61 billion under the cover of Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited Project, while in another case 19 people were accused of embezzling more that Tk 22.57 billion through Destiny Tree Plantation Project (DTPP).
The court on August 24, 2016 framed charges in the two cases. Of the two cases, the court pronounced the judgment in Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited case on May 12 this year.
