Papia, husband indicted in graft case

A Dhaka court today framed charges against  expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur  Rahman Sumon in a case filed for amassing illegal wealth of over Taka six crore.

Judge Mohammad Ali Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 passed the order, setting 22 December for start recording depositions of the witnesses.

Earlier on 6 October, police produced the couple before Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court as it accepted the charge-sheet in the case. The court later transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 for further proceedings.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Shaheen Ara Momtaz filed the case against Papia and her husband with its Dhaka District Office-1 on 4 August, 2020, for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 6.24 crore.

According to the case documents, Papia and her husband from 12 October, 2019, to 22 February, 2020, rented a total of 25 rooms of a five-star hotel in Dhaka and paid over Taka 3.23 crore cash as room rent, bills for bars, spa, laundry and food service.

Papia spent around Taka 40 lakh in shopping during her stay at the hotel, but couldn't show any valid source of income against this huge sum.

Besides, the ACC also did not find any valid sources of Taka 30 lakh which Papia paid as rent for her flat from April 2015 to April 2020, Taka one crore invested in vehicle trade, Taka 20 lakh invested in car wash solution business in Narsingdi and over Taka 30.52 lakh deposited in different bank  accounts of her and her husband.

On 22 February, 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Papia and her husband, along with two of their accomplices, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with counterfeit banknotes, foreign currencies and cash.

RAB later raided their two luxurious flats in the capital's Indira Road area and recovered a foreign-made pistol, two magazines, 20 bullets, five bottles of foreign liquor and Taka 58.41 lakh in cash, among other things.