Testimony of investigation officer (IO) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Benjir Ahmed ended on Thursday in a case filed against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others for alleged embezzlement of Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and for laundering the money abroad.
Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 adjourned the hearing till April 20 as the defence failed to conclude the cross examination of the IO.
Twenty out of 21 witnesses have so far testified in the case.
On December 10 in 2019, Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 framed charges in the case. Investigation Officer (IO) and ACC director Benjir Ahmed submitted the charge-sheet in the case to the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayes.
On February 20 in 2020, the court transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 for further proceedings.
On July 10 in 2019, the ACC filed the case for embezzling Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.
The other accused are former Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shameem, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Askaree, senior executive vice-president Gazi Salauddin, vice-president M Lutful Haque, bank’s entrepreneur director Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, bank clients Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, his uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha, and Ranajit’s wife Shanti Roy.
According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money as loan from then Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to Justice Sinha’s Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from the sale of his house.
