A Dhaka court has fixed February 23 to deliver its verdict in a graft case against suspended deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Mizanur Rahman and suspended director of the Anti-Corruption Commision (ACC) Khandaker Enamul Basir.
Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka’s Fourth Special Judge Court announced the date on Thursday.
The prosecution on January 24 told BSS that it had been able to prove all the charges framed against the accused beyond any reasonable doubt, and that it was expecting the maximum penalty for them.
Earlier on January 12, the accused pleaded not guilty in their statements submitted to the court.
The court finished recording testimonies in the case on December 23.
The ACC filed the case with its Integrated District Office in Dhaka under the Money Laundering Prevention Act on July 16, 2019.
ACC Director Sheikh Mohammad Fanafilya on January 19, 2020 pressed charges against the two for leaking information and taking bribes.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayesh on February 9, 2020 accepted the chargesheet and transferred the case for further proceedings to Dhaka’s Fourth Special Judge Court.
The court on March 18, 2020 framed charges against the two accused in the case.
Blame game, suspensions
Mizanur in a television interview, had claimed that ACC official Basir had taken Tk40 lakh in bribes from him, with the promise that he would be given a clean chit.
Basir also disclosed probe details during the investigation, according to the ACC.
Audio clips of mobile conversations between Mizanur and Basir were aired on television.
Basir refuted the allegations and claimed that the DIG had supplied a fake clip to a television channel, using an imitation of his voice.
After the allegations surfaced, Basir was removed from his office and replaced by another ACC director, Md Monzur Morshed.
Both Mizanur and Basir were subsequently suspended by their respective institutions and a three-member panel led by ACC Director Fanafilya was formed to probe the bribery allegations.
