Arafat trial begins in absentia
Arafat Rahman
Staff Correspondent
A court on Tuesday started the trial of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's youngest son, Arafat Rahman, and former shipping minister Akbar Hossain's son, Ismail Hossain Saimon, in absentia in a money laundering case.
The judge of Special Judge's Court-3, Mozammel Haque, began the trial by recording depositions of the complainant in the case Abu Sayeed, also Anti-Corruption Commission's deputy director.
After recording his deposition, the court adjourned the hearing till January 19.
Earlier on November 30, 2010, the same court framed the charges in the absence of Arafat and Saimon and decided to hold the trial in their absence.
This is the first-ever case in which Arafat is facing formal trial.
Arafat and Saimon may be sentenced to seven years in prison if the charges are proved.
The court on November 30, 2010, also rejected a petition submitted by Arafat's lawyer, seeking cancellation of the warrants issued on October 31 for his arrest, saying that a petition for extension of his parole was pending with the home affairs ministry.
Arafat, arrested on September 3, 2007, in the GATCO graft case, has reportedly been undergoing medical treatment in Bangkok since July 19, 2008, after his release on parole.
The home ministry on August 19, 2010, cancelled the parole and asked Arafat to return home by August 31, 2010 and surrender to the court.
Arafat's lawyers challenged cancellation of the parole and the High Court bench of Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah and Justice Quazi Reza-ul Hoque, in its verdict on October 11, extended Arafat's parole by 20 days.
Arafat's lawyers filed a writ petition on August 24, challenging the government's decision. The High Court on August 26 asked the government to explain the legality of the cancellation of Arafat's parole and stayed the cancellation of the parole.
The High Court had also observed that Arafat could submit his medical documents to the government and request it to extend his parole.
The Appellate Division on October 13, however, stayed for six weeks the High Court's verdict.
Saimon has been on the run since the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the money laundering case on 17 March, 2009.
The ACC on November 12, 2009 submitted the charge sheet to the court against Arafat and Saimon for siphoning $28,84,000 and $9,32,000 to Singapore.
In the charge sheet, the anti-graft body said that the accused had smuggled the money they had received from the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd and Siemens for helping them win government contracts.
China Harbour won a contract worth Tk 351 crore to set up the New Mooring Container Terminal, and Siemens bagged a contract of Tk 239 crore to supply and install equipment for Teletalk, the state-owned mobile phone operator.
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