Online casino kingpin Salim Pradhan indicted
The Dhaka Special Judge Court on Sunday framed charges against one of the kingpins of online casino business Salim Pradhan in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission over amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.
Judge Al Asad Asifuzzaman of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 framed charges against Salim and fixed November 25 to start the trial of the case.
Rapid Action Battalion arrested Salim from a Bangkok-bound flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on September 30.
Later, RAB mobile court sentenced him to six-month in jail for possessing deer hide.
On October 27, 2019, the commission filed the case against Salim with its integrated district office Dhaka-1 on charge of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 12.27 crore.
The commission’s deputy director Gulshan Anowar Prodhan submitted the charge sheet against Salim on February 4.
According to the commission’s findings, Salim amassed movable and immovable wealth worth Tk 57.79 crore beyond his known sources of income.
Of them, the commission found illegal moveable wealth worth Tk 57.31 crore and immoveable wealth worth Tk 47.46 lakh during the probe.
Salim also committed offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2012 by laundering Tk 21.99 crore to Thailand and USA, according to the charge sheet.
On October 18, the ACC lawyer argued to frame charges against Salim in a court hearing while Salim’s lawyer Shahinur Rahman sought his acquittal.
On March 21, Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka took cognisance of the charges against the accused and transferred the case to Special Judge Court-6 for trial.
RAB started anti-casino raids on September 18, 2019, beginning at the Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club.
The law enforcing agency 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 were arrested for their alleged involvement in casino business and corruption.
The law enforcing agencies raided different clubs, including Dhaka Wanderers Club, Muktijoddha Chitto Bonodon Club, Muktijoddha Sporting Club, Kalabagan Krira Chakra, Dhanmondi Club, Fu-Wang Club, Muktijoddha Club of Chittagong, Chattagram Abahani Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club of Chattagram, during the drives.
RAB and the police arrested the then president of Juba League’s Dhaka South unit Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, Juba League leader and influential contractor GK Shamim, online casino operator Salim Pradhan and Awami League’s Gendaria thana unit leaders Enamul Haque Enu and Rupon Bhuyian on charges of running illegal casino business and corruption.
The arrested people allegedly amassed huge amounts of money and property through illegal means and laundered money abroad, said investigators.
Thirty-two cases, mostly of money laundering, possessing illegal firearms and drugs, were filed against more than two dozen people, including the arrested ones.
The Criminal Investigation Department of police in September submitted a list of 12 individuals including expelled Juba League leaders Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, Khaled Mahmood Bhuiyan and Mominul Haque Sayeed to the High Court.
The individuals, most of who are now in jail in cases linked to casino businesses, have been made accused in seven cases relating to money laundering to the tune of Tk 310 crore to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, according to the CID report.
