Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed two separate review petitions filed by Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin seeking bail in two money laundering cases involving Tk 4,200 crore.
A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the orders after hearing on the review petitions.
Rafiqul Amin cannot be released from jail following the apex court orders, said lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan who appeared in the hearing of the case on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Raja appeared for Rafiqul Amin, while Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC during the court proceedings.
On August 20, 2020, a HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel rejected the bail petitions of Rafiqul Amin as he did not pay any money to the government in line with the Appellate Division direction. Then, Rafiqul Amin, who is now in jail, filed the two petitions with the Appellate Division, challenging the HC’s rejection orders.
On November 13, 2016 Destiny Group MD Rafiqul and Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd Chairman Mohammad Hossain were granted bail by the Appellate Division on condition that they must pay the government Tk 2,800 crore in six weeks by selling 35 lakh matured trees planted under the company’s tree plantation project.
Rafiqul and Mohammad Hossain have not paid the money yet in line with the SC directive, Khurshid Alam Khan added.
On July 31, 2012, the ACC filed the cases against 22 officials of Destiny Group, including Rafiqul Amin and Mohammad Hossain, with Kalabagan Police Station. After investigation, the ACC submitted charge sheet in the cases on May 5, 2014.
The Destiny officials, including Rafiqul Amin, failed several times earlier to get bail from the High Court Division and Appellate Division in the cases.
