A Dhaka court on Wednesday framed charges against "influential" contractor GK Shamim and his mother Ayesha Akter in a disproportionate assets case.
Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, framed the charges against the mother-son duo for corruption and fixed November 7 as the next date for hearing the testimonies of witnesses in the case, said Belal Hossain, a court official.
Framing of charge is vital to a criminal case as it gives the accused precisely what the prosecution intends to prove against them.
Shamim and his mother have been charged with graft for acquiring excessive assets -- worth over Tk 298 crore -- by corrupt means, the court official said.
Earlier, on December 22, 2020, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) approved the chargesheet against Shamim and his mother in the graft case.
He was arrested with illegal firearms and a huge amount of money from his Niketan office on September 20, 2019, during a drive against illegal casinos and other businesses.
Seven of his bodyguards were also arrested during the raid.
Rab members seized Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs) worth Tk 165 crore, Tk 1.81 crore in cash and a huge amount of foreign currencies.
A foreign-made pistol, seven shotguns and a huge cache of bullets were also seized from the office of ‘GKB & Company Pvt Limited’.
The elite force lodged three complaints – one under the narcotics control act, another under the money-laundering prevention act, and the third under the arms acts – against Shamim with Gulshan police the next day.