https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/court-sends-shibli-rubayat-jail-says-punishment-graft-should-be-raised-3817626

The punishment for corruption should be increased, the judge of a Dhaka court said today while hearing two remand prayers, including one of Prof Shibli Rubayat-Ul Islam, former chairman of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC).

"The punishment of the graft case is minimum. The punishment should be increased for those who are involved with laundering and amassing huge amount of money," said Judge Md Zakir Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court.

He said, "There should be a provision for confiscating all the moveable and immovable properties before the judgment. There is a loophole in enacting the law that allows the corrupts for laundering crores of money."

He also said taking advantages from such laws in which there is a provision for convicting them with a minimum penalty even though charges are very high. If the punishment is increased, the court can be able to award them so that they will be in fear for rigorous punishment.

The ACC had earlier informed the court that a group of companies had laundered thousands crores of money abroad, he said.

Shibli Rubayat sent to jail

Meanwhile, the court sent Shibli Rubayat to jail after rejecting both his remand and bail prayers in a corruption case.

The court, however, allowed the ACC to quiz the accused at the jail gate for one day within seven days.

Judge Zakir passed order after ACC Deputy Director Md Masudur Rahman, also investigation officer of the case, produced Shibli before the court with a 10-day remand prayer.

In the prayer, IO Masudur said Shibli was involved in amassing and laundering money, so he needs to be remanded to find out vital clues about the allegations.

Defence lawyer Khorshed Alam submitted an application, seeking bail and cancellation of the remand prayer on grounds that their client was implicated falsely in the case just for "harassment".

At one stage, the judge asked Shibli whether he would say anything about the charges brought against him.

Claiming himself innocence, Shibli told the court that the charges brought against him of money laundering are "false, fabricated and vague". Moreover, he brought remittance into the country rather than laundering money abroad.

He broke down in tears while placing his statements before the court.

He said the charges brought against of taking bribes from a company was not true. His close friend sent those money at his account, he added.

"The ACC had earlier frozen not only my bank accounts but also the bank accounts of my family members. So, I appealed to the court to grant me bail and cancel the remand prayer," Shibli continued.

According to the ACC Act-2004, if anybody is found guilty of concealing of crores of money in his or her wealth statement to the ACC, he or she can be given the maximum punishment of three years in jail.

While if anybody is found guilty of amassing crores of money through illegal means and corruption of concealing of crores of money, he or she can be given the maximum punishment of 10 years in jail.

Additionally, if anybody is found guilty of laundering crores of money, he or she can be given the maximum punishment of 12 years in jail in such cases.