Staff Correspondent :
A Dhaka court on Wednesday sentenced the ruling party lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi to three years in prison on charges of amassing illegal wealth and concealing information about his wealth of Tk 100 million.
The court also fined Tk 1.0 million to the lawmaker from the Cox’s Bazar-4 Constituency and in default, he will have to serve three months more in prison.
Abu Ahmad Jamadar of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 handed down the verdict in the morning in presence of the accused.
Police took him to Dhaka Central Jail in Keranigonj soon after the verdict was announced. According to the case statement, Abdur Rahman Bodi concealed information about his wealth worth more than Tk 108.6 million amassed from unknown sources.
Earlier, on May 7last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission submitted charge sheet in the case.
Following the charge-sheet, the trial in the case began after charges were framed against him on September 8 in 2015, with a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court rejecting Bodi’s bail petition and sending him to jail a month later.
The argument in the case was concluded on October 19.
On August 21, 2014, the ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing Bodi of amassing illegal wealth.
ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain told media that Bodi was jailed as he was found guilty of charges of hiding information about his wealth.
Badi’s lawyer said they will challenge the verdict in the High Court.
The case statement also shows that Bodi owned properties worth Tk 4.979 million in 2008. In an income statement sent to ACC in 2013, he stated that he owned assets of Tk 160.7 million.
Lawmaker Bodi had been mired in controversy and named on the list of Yaba smugglers prepared by the Home Ministry. His three brothers, brother-in-laws and some other relatives have also been listed as traders of the contraband drugs. He is also accused of patronising illegal Rohingyas.
Earlier, the Member of Parliament had threatened to resign if the ACC could prove his involvement in corruption.
