Staff Reporter :
A Special Court in Dhaka is set to deliver the judgment on Thursday on cases filed against 46 people, including Destiny Group President Harun-Ur-Rashid and Managing Director Rafiqul Amin, for allegedly embezzling Tk 18.61 billion through Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.
Earlier on March 27 this year after concluding the closing arguments Judge of the Special Judge’s Court-4 in Dhaka, Shaikh Nazmul Alam, fixed May 12 for delivering the judgment in the case.
Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, a counsel who appeared in the case hearing on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said, “We hope the verdict will be pronounced tomorrow (Thursday) as the date has not been changed yet.”
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 anti-graft body on May 4, 2014, submitted charge-sheets in the two cases for embezzling Taka 41.18 billion. Destiny Group President Harun-Ur-Rashid and Managing Director Rafiqul Amin were named in both the charge-sheets.
The court on August 24, 2016 framed charges in the two cases. Of the two cases, the court is set to pronounce judgment in Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited case on May 12.
According to one of the charge-sheets, Destiny officials collected Tk 19.01 billion from the investors since 2008 in the name of Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited project. The ACC investigation found that Tk 18.61 billion was embezzled from the deposited amount. As a result 0.8 million investors suffered losses.
In another charge-sheet it was stated that Destiny officials collected Tk 24.45 billion from the investors in the name of Destiny Tree Plantation Project (DTPP). The ACC investigation found that Tk 22.57 billion was embezzled from the amount. As a result 1.75 million investors suffered losses.
The court recorded statements of 202, out of 303 prosecution witnesses in the Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited project case.
Rafiqul Amin and five others accused are now in jail. Destiny Group President Lt Gen (retd) Harun-Ur-Rashid and two others are on bail. Rafiqul Amin’s wife Farah Diba and 36 others are now absconding in the case.
