Charge-sheets of 19 out of 56 cases against casino kingpins submitted

Highlight:

• The Rab filed 32 cases in connection with illegal casinos
• The ACC filed 23 cases against people connected with casinos
• The CID filed 1 case during investigation
• The Rab was in charge of 17 cases, submitted charge-sheets in 14 cases
• The CID was investigating 11 cases, submitted charge-sheets in 5 cases
• The ACC has not submitted any charge-sheet yet
• The Covid-19 pandemic has stagnated the investigation

All the casino kingpins who had been arrested over running illegal casinos at several sports clubs in the capital last year are now waiting to face trial of the cases that have been lodged against them.

Apart from the casino business, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) also seized illegal arms, counterfeit currency and liquor during the raids at the kingpin's offices and homes.

The Rab, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Criminal Investigation Department of police have filed 56 cases in connection with these illegal casino businesses. Among these, the Rab and the CID have submitted charge-sheets in 19 cases so far, while the ACC has submitted no charge-sheet.

Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, the then president of Jubo League's Dhaka South City chapter, Khalid Mahmud Bhuyian, the then organising secretary of the same unit, GK Shamim, a claimed Jubo League leader and a influential contractor, Selim Pradhan who ran an online casino and leaders of Awami League's Gendaria Thana unit Enamul Haque Enu and Rupon Bhuyian are now behind bars over their alleged involvement in money laundering, narcotics and counterfeit currency.

Among them, Ismail Chowdhury Samrat and GK Shamim are in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University's special prison medical cell and the rest are in Kashimpur High Security Prison, Dhaka district jailer Mahbubur Rahman confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

The Rab was in charge of cases filed over the casino kingpins' illegal arms, narcotics and counterfeit currency, while the CID has been investigating money laundering charges. 

"The Rab took charge of 17 cases among the 32 cases related to the casino drives. We have already submitted 14 charge-sheets against the casino kingpins," said Sujoy Sarker, assistant director, Legal and Media wing of Rab.

"We demanded the maximum punishment for them in those charge-sheets over illegal arms, narcotics and counterfeit currency cases" he added.

Abdullah Abu, chief prosecutor of Dhaka Metropolitan Judge's Court, told The Business Standard, "Most of the charge-sheets have already been submitted, now we have to prove them in court."

If the prosecution can prove the charges against the casino kingpins in court, they might get at least 7 years imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the CID has been investigating 11 money laundering cases in connection with the casinos. 

Of these cases, the CID submitted a charge-sheet against former Jubo League leader Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan in February.

They have also completed investigating four money laundering cases against two brothers Enamul Haque Enu and Rupon Bhuiyan and submitted charge-sheets of those cases on Wednesday, Mostafa Kamal, special police superintendent of CID's organised crime unit, told The Business standard.

He said the investigation into six other cases of money laundering will be completed within one-two months.

"The investigation of three cases of money laundering against GK Shamim, Selim Pradhan, Enu and Rupon have almost been completed. We will submit charge-sheets of these cases within one month," said Mostafa Kamal.

He further eHe said initially all the cases were filed by the Rab. The CID has been investigating only money laundering cases and tried to prove the allegations based on the case statements.

During investigation, the CID officers found some new information, based on which they filed a new case against Khalid, and they may file more cases in this regard.

CID found huge wealth during investigation

Sources at the CID said they found huge amounts of wealth and money belonging to the casino kings during the investigation. 

They earned the money in the last five years through the casino business. After six months of investigation, the CID confirmed that Enu and Rupom have 128 flats, 20 houses and 25 kathas of land.

Besides, the CID found 91 bank accounts that belong to the two brothers, who deposited Tk19 core in these accounts and transacted TK 200 core in the last few years. 

The CID also found 52 bank accounts of Casino Khalid. These accounts have Tk29 core and he transacted Tk410 crore.  Khalid has given a confessional statement before court. 

CID officials said they found information on bank transactions and now they are trying to collect information about land and other properties belonging to them.

Meanwhile, CID confirmed that GK Shamim has 194 bank accounts, which have Tk324 crore. He has Tk145 core in various banks.

CID sources said the Investigation against Selim Pradhan is going on and they have already found 83 bank accounts that belonging to him.

Selim has a bungalow in Thailand, three anonymous companies, a spa house, a law firm, a fashion house, a consulting and management firm, a finishing company, a security printings and papers business.

The Rab arrested Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan from Gulshan on September 18 and seized money in different currencies from his house.

On September 20 the elite force conducted a drive at GK Shamim's office and arrested him along with his eight gunmen.

On September 24 the Rab arrested Enu and Rupon from old Dhaka and seized arms, cash taka and gold.

On September 30 they arrested online casino king Selim Pradhan in the airport area while he was trying to escape to a foreign country.  

ACC filed 23 cases against 27 people:

Since operations began against the casino kingpins on September 18, 2019, the ACC has filed 23 cases against 27 people. The anti-graft body is digging into information of illegal wealth belonging to these people.

The ACC has also been enquiring about the wealth of around 200 people in connection with the casino business. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation their enquiry got stagnated for the last few months.

Besides, investigations of the 23 cases has also stagnated.

Leader of the enquiry team and ACC Director Syed Iqbal Hossain told The Business Standard that his team has been working hard on those cases and enquiries. He said the ACC will submit charge-sheets in some of those cases soon.

Besides, they may file some new cases too.