A Bangladeshi expats has given a rare glimpse of the grip of Lakshmipur lawmaker Md Shahid Islam alias Papul, charged with human trafficking and money laundering in Kuwait, on his compatriots, Gulf News reported quoting Kuwaiti media.
The witness, Abdul Jabbar, said Papul was like a “mafia boss who demanded taxes from poor low-income workers,” who obeyed and paid payments to him, Arab Times reported.
“The accused’s men were imposing a ‘royalty’ on workers, at a value of 8 dinars per day,” Jabbar said.
Jabbar revealed he was told before traveling to Kuwait that his job will require working eight hours a day and that he will earn 140 dinars per month, but he discovered upon arrival that the shift would last 16 hours a day and that the monthly salary would be 100 dinars, and he was asked to do various jobs.
“Two men, Mahboub and Aman, were collecting the money for Shahid Islam (Papul),” Jabbar said before leaving to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi newspaper reported that, at least three migrants said the Kuwaiti authorities had promised them of full compensation, but they were handed only 150 dinars before they boarded a flight that reached Dhaka on Tuesday.
Papul, an independent member of parliament elected from Lakshmipur 2 constituency, was arrested by Kuwait authorities on June 7, is held in custody pending trial.
During interrogation, Papul reportedly confessed to have provided 1.1 million dinars by check to an official at the Ministry of Interior, one million dinars in cash to another official, in addition to “bags” of millions of dinars in cash to a third official, Kuwaiti media reported.
Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Maryam Al Aqeel, issued a decision to suspend a senior official in the Public Manpower Authority for three months, at the request of the Public Prosecution regarding the investigations conducted with him in the case of trafficking in persons.
Prosecutors heard testimonies of 12 Bangladeshi workers brought in Kuwait by the accused from Bangladesh for money.
Quoting sources close to prosecution investigation, Al Rai reported Papul made confessions against a director in one of the ministries, and said that he was attending at his cleaning company, demanding that all Kuwaiti employees be dismissed before his arrival, so that no one would recognise him.
Kuwaiti media have also accused Papul of trading visas and siphoning off money to the US for laundering.
According to Al Qabas, Papul is a member of a three-man racket whose other members include another Bangladeshi MP, whose wife is also an MP from the seats reserved for women.
It added that the trio occupied sensitive positions in three major companies that brought over 20,000 Bangladeshi workers into Kuwait in exchange for large sums of money believed to be in excess of 50 million dinars.
Papul reportedly channeled the money to the US to set up a company in partnership with an American national, according to the report.
