A Chattogram court has sentenced five former Janata Bank officials to eight years in prison in a corruption case involving the embezzlement of Tk 3.39 crore from the bank’s Sheikh Mujib Road Corporate Branch more than two decades ago.
The verdict was delivered on Sunday (May 10) by Chattogram Divisional Special Judge Md. Mizanur Rahman.
The convicted officials are Md. Abu Tayyab, Babul Chandra Majumder, Ronendra Bikash Saha, Moslem Uddin and Md. Sayeed Hossain. All were former officials of Janata Bank.
Another accused, former bank official Nurul Huda, was acquitted as the charges against him could not be proven.
Court proceedings against another accused, Abu Bakar Siddiqui, remain suspended pending settlement of a legal rule.
According to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor Advocate Md. Enamul Islam, the court found the five accused guilty based on testimony from 12 witnesses.
Five years in prison under Section 409 of the Penal Code, Two years under Section 420, and One year under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Each convict was also fined Tk 46 lakh. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional one-year prison term.
The convicted officials were absent during the verdict announcement. The court later issued arrest warrants against them.
According to case documents, officials and customers of Janata Bank’s Sheikh Mujib Road Corporate Branch allegedly worked together to illegally transfer money from several bank accounts. The funds were later withdrawn through current and STD accounts and embezzled.
A special inspection team found evidence of embezzlement amounting to Tk 3 crore 39 lakh 81 thousand between January 1, 1999, and March 29, 2000.
The case was filed on April 6, 2000, by the branch’s then Deputy General Manager, Md. Abul Kashem, at Double Mooring Police Station. Investigators submitted the charge sheet on June 14, 2011, and the trial formally began on March 6, 2013, after charges were framed against the accused.
