ACC approves graft chargesheet against Regent’s Shahed

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) today approved a chargesheet against Regent Group Chairman Shahed Karim in a case filed over misappropriating money and failure to submit asset declaration within due time.

Earlier, an ACC investigating officer filed the chargesheet in the case, which was filed on 1 March this year under sections 26 (2) and 26 (1) of the ACC Act.

According to the chargesheet, Shahed Karim failed to submit the asset declaration form attached with the order issued by ACC on 5 November. He was instructed to submit the form within 28 December, after twenty-one working days and an additional 15 days.

Moreover, he has acquired movable assets worth over Tk1.69 crore that is inconsistent with the source of his income.

Both of the aforementioned charges are punishable offences according to the graft commission.

On July 15, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained Shahed Karim from the border area of Satkhira on various charges of fraud during the coronavirus pandemic.

The court placed Shahed on a 10-day remand the next day in a case filed on charges of various incidents of fraud including faking Covid-19 test reports.

After that, the Detective Branch (DB) of police on 18 July went to Uttara on a drive taking Shahed with them and seized a loaded pistol and illegal drugs from a car that was used by Shahed. SM Gaffarul Alam, inspector at the DB, then filed a case against Shahed at Uttara West police station under the Arms Act.

On 30 July, Inspector Md Shairul of the DB filed a charge-sheet against Shahed in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan.

On 27 August, Shahed was indicted by Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes.

Testimony in the case ended on 15 September. The court heard the testimony of 11 out of 14 witnesses in the case over four working days.

On 16 September, pleading innocence in the arms case, Shahed sought justice from court.

On 18 September, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu and Additional Public Prosecutor Tapash Kumar Pal demanded the maximum sentence, life imprisonment, for Shahed in the case.