The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched a separate investigation into whether the authorities of the Westin hotel in capital Dhaka are linked with the illegal activities of Shamima Noor Papia, a recently expelled leader of Jubo Mohila League.
ACC official sources said, as part of the ACC move, the anti-graft body had asked the Westin authorities to submit documents involving Papia, and in response to a written query of the ACC, the Westin hotel authorities submitted a bill of Tk 32.3 million paid by Papia, and other documents related to her stay in the hotel with 10 guests.
Muhammed Dilwar Bakht, the Secretary of the ACC on Monday said, “The ACC authorities already have asked all the 59 banks and financial institutions and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) authorities to track down the monitory dealings and transactions of Papia.”
In a reply, the ACC Secretary said, “The Westin has provided some information, but details are not possible to disclose at present for the sake of investigation.” He added while saying that there will be an independent investigation if the hotel owner Noor Ali is found to have links with Papia’s illegal wealth accumulation and business. It should be mentioned that the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested four people, including Papia, a leader of the youth wing of the ruling party, from the Dhaka airport on Feb 22 and raided the Westin, a five-star hotel. During the drive, RAB personnel recovered a huge amount of cash, drugs, arms and foreign currency and rescued four women.
According to RAB, Papia had been running a sex racket out of a Westin suite that charged $2,000 per day. Papia is also accused of making a large fortune through drugs, arms, extortion and false promises of jobs, said the RAB officials.
Moreover, the Detective Branch (DB) of police also sought information from the hotel authority to identify those who visited Papia’s den while the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) wrote to the Westin last week for information of Papia buying a large quantity of liquor.
The Westin Dhaka is owned by Unique Hotel and Resorts Ltd. Noor Ali is the managing director of the company. A video of him conversing with Papia and a group of girls, who appeared to be the victims of the sex racket, went viral on social media. The Westin authority claimed to be ignorant of the existence of Papia’s den in the hotel.