https://www.newagebd.net/article/170730/cid-probe-into-samrats-money-laundering-makes-no-headway

The Criminal Investigation Department’s investigation into alleged money laundering of Tk 195 crore against expelled Juba League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat made no progress in nearly two years, officials said.

The investigation into another money laundering case of Tk 8 crore filed against expelled Juba League leader Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan has also remained stalled, said CID investigators.

The investigators were not certain when they could complete the investigation into these two money laundering cases.

CID special police superintendent for financial crime Humayun Kabir said that they had requested information on Samrat and Khaled’s money laundering from three countries– Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand– through the foreign ministry on October 25, 2020, but were yet to get any response.

He said that the department wanted to know how many assets Samrat and Khaled had accumulated in those countries as the information would serve as key evidence in the cases.

Samrat secured bail from the court of the additional chief metropolitan magistrate in Dhaka in the money laundering case on April 10.

The jail authorities freed Samrat on May 11 as he received bails in all four cases filed against him. He is now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

The Anti-Corruption Commission, however, on Monday filed a petition before the High Court seeking cancellation of his bail in a graft case, granted by the lower court.

Samrat is facing charges relating to money laundering, illegal casino business, illegal bars, and possession of illegal arms, after the Rapid Action Battalion arrested him on October 6, 2019 during the drive against illegal casino business and illegal bars.

The CID on September 13, 2020, filed a case against Samrat on the charge of laundering at least Tk 195 crore to Malaysia and Singapore.

CID found that Samrat had visited Singapore 35 times, Malaysia three times, Dubai two times and Hong Kong once in eight years between 2011 to 2019.

The case statement also said that Samrat earned money through conducting various illegal activities in Motijheel, Fakirapool, Paltan and Kakrail

areas.

A CID investigator said that a major part of the investigation into the money laundering case was done at the enquiry stage.

CID investigation has confirmed about siphoning of Tk 195 crore to Malaysia and Singapore, but the complete investigation requires a trace of the money and the way of laundering.

CID has written to Malaysia and Singapore authorities to get the information, with no success.

‘The countries did not make any reply to our queries,’ said the officer.

He doubted whether the three countries would provide the information at all.

Asked about the fate of the cases against Samrat and Khaled if the three countries did not provide information, CID financial crime unit officials could not come out with any plan of action.

The RAB started the anti-casino drive on September 18, 2019, with a raid on Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club.

The elite force arrested the then Dhaka south city Juba League organising secretary Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan in connection with the casino business in the club.

More than 50 raids were conducted in different parts of the country and 275 people were arrested for their alleged involvement in casino business and corruption.

The arrested people amassed a huge amount of money and property through illegal means and laundered money abroad, said investigators.