Arafat Rahman Koko
was sentenced to six years imprisonment by a special
court for siphoning off over USD 2.66 million as bribes from
two foreign companies.
The court also handed down an identical sentence to
former minister Akbar Hossain's son Ismail Hossain Saimon
after trying them in absentia and ordered officials to take
steps to recover the amount they siphoned off abroad.
The court also fined them USD 5.13 million (Taka
38.83) crore each.
"Their punishment will be effective from the day of
their arrest or surrender," the judgment said.
According to the chargesheet, Koko was accused of
taking bribes from China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. and
the German telecom giant Siemens' subsidiary in Bangladesh to
facilitate them win government contracts during Khaleda's
premiership in 2001-2006
Koko, who has refused to return for trial and living
in Bangkok, was arrested on September 2007 on graft charges
under a massive anti-corruption campaign of the earlier
interim government and was paroled for treatment abroad in
July 2008.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) carried out
investigation teaming up with United States and British
authorities to recover millions of dollars stashed by Koko and
several other high-profile suspects in Singapore banks.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, June 23, 2011, 22:09