Mamun given 7 years in money laundering case

Dhaka, April 24 – A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s friend and business partner Gias Uddin Al Mamun to seven-year imprisonment and fined Tk 12 crore in a money laundering case.
Mamun, who was made accused in 13 other cases, has already been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail in three cases, two of which were for corruption. He has been in prison since his arrest
during the military-backed caretaker government’s term.
Judge Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 awarded him seven years imprisonment in the case. The court delivered the verdict in the presence of Mamun at around 12.38 pm.
In its verdict, the court said, “The accused has been sentenced to seven-year imprisonment and fined Taka 12 crore under section 13 (2) of Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2002 as the allegations brought
against him by the state/ Anti-Corruption Commission were proved beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The court also ordered to seize Mamun’s £418,853.47 kept in different accounts with Natwest Bank, Aldwych Branch, London, under state exchequer.
It also ordered authorities concerned to take appropriate actions to bring the said money back to Bangladesh.
Earlier on April 8, the lower court fixed April 24 for delivering its verdict after concluding arguments from both sides in the case.
The court recorded the statements of 10 out of 12 witnesses during the trial proceedings.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against Mamun, with the Cantonment police station on September 22, 2011, for syphoning off £418,853.47 to the UK.
The ACC submitted a charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka on April 29, 2012, alleging that Mamun had syphoned off the money.
On April 29, 2013, the ACC submitted the charge sheet showing 13 people as prosecution witnesses in the case.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Mamun opened two accounts with a London branch of the NatWest Bank and laundered the money.
Of the total amount, £214,356 pounds were found in one of the accounts. The money was deposited between July 2003 and January 2005. – Staff Reporter