GK Shamim sentenced over 5 years in prison, mother acquitted

The court has sentenced Golam Kibria Shamim alias GK Shamim, the contractor in the casino scandal, to five years and six months in prison in a case filed by the ACC on charges of acquiring assets that are not known to have been earned illegally and known to have been earned. The court has acquitted his mother Ayesha Akhter in the same case.

On Thursday (March 27), Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Judge Md Rabiul Alam announced the verdict. In addition to the sentence, the judge mentioned in the verdict that he will have to serve another three months in prison without hard labor in default of paying a fine of one lakh taka. In addition, GK Shamim's illegal assets worth 297 crore 8 lakh 99 thousand taka have been ordered to be confiscated in favor of the state.

At the same time, GK Shamim has been acquitted as the money laundering charges against him have not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The court acquitted his mother Ayesha Akhter as the charges of illegal wealth acquisition and money laundering were not proven.

Belal Hossain, a bench assistant of the court concerned, gave this information.

In response to the verdict, ACC prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said, the court sentenced the accused as the charges under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act were proven against him. We were able to prove the charges of money laundering. Still, the court acquitted him of this charge. The commission will decide whether to appeal against the verdict.

The case was scheduled for verdict on February 17. On that day, GK Shamim's lawyer Shahinur Islam requested to re-examine the investigation officer of the case. The court granted the request. The case was lifted from the verdict and fixed for taking testimony. After that, after interrogating the investigation officer, hearing the defense of the accused, presenting the evidence and arguments, the verdict date was set again on March 20.

Earlier, on October 21, 2019, GK Shamim and his mother Ayesha Akhter were accused of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk 297.899 crore by ACC's Deputy Director Md. Salahuddin at the Integrated District Office-1.

On January 17, 2021, Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director and Investigation Officer of the case Md. Salahuddin submitted the charge sheet to the court.

On October 18, 2022, the court framed charges against them in the case. Through which the formal trial against the accused began.

From the statement, it is known that GK Shamim became the owner of immovable assets worth Tk 50 crore until the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Of this, Tk 40 crore 21 lakh 40 thousand 744 was mentioned in the income tax documents, but the ACC could not find the legal source of the total amount.

In addition, the ACC did not find the legal source of the cash of 181.28 million taka recovered from his house, foreign currency of 747 thousand taka, FDR of 165.27 million taka in the name of Shamim and his mother Ayesha Akhter, another 435.74 million taka in the name of the mother's business partner and GKB & Company shares, cars and FDR worth 363.518 thousand taka in the name of the movable assets.

The investigation also found no legal source of income for Shamim's mother. That is, the ACC filed the case on the charge of acquiring known undeclared assets of 297.899 million taka.