Health dept driver Malek jailed for 30 years in arms case
But he will only have to spend 15 years in jail, sentenced on two counts running concurrently
Abdul Malek, a suspended health directorate driver who made headlines for amassing enormous wealth illegally, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on two counts in an arms case.
But, convicted Malek will have to spend only 15 years in jail as the punishment will run concurrently, Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu told journalists.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-3's Mohammad Rabiul Alam gave him 15 years in prison for possessing firearms and another 15 years for possessing ammunition.
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The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) driver was allegedly involved in many illegal activities and made untold wealth by successfully lobbying for the transfer of employees to different departments.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested him from the Turag area in the city on 20 September 2020 for extortion and running an illegal firearms business in the area.
On a drive at a 7-storey building in Kamarpara under Turag Police Station, RAB also recovered from his possession, one foreign made pistol, one magazine, five rounds of bullets, fake currency of around Tk1.50 lakh, a laptop, and a mobile phone.
Malek pleaded not guilty and demanded justice when Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh framed charges against him on 11 March.
It was on 11 January that RAB submitted a charge sheet in the case.
Separately, on February 15, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two separate cases against both Malek and his wife Nargis Begum. Malek was suspended from the DGHS on charges of acquiring assets well beyond accounted for sources of income, and for hiding information on that.
In the two cases, husband and wife were accused of acquiring illegal assets valued at around Tk2.61 crore, and for concealing information on assets worth Tk93.5 lakh.
According to sources, ACC recently found further information on more than Tk5 crore worth of illegal assets owned by the couple.
The corruption watchdog's investigation has revealed a seven-storey house, a luxury flat, a Pajero Jeep, and a cattle farm owned by the couple.
The investigators said although the assets are over Tk5 crore on paper, in reality, the market value of those assets is likely several times higher.
The ACC said charge sheets for the two cases will be filed in court soon.
