A Dhaka court has sentenced expelled Narsingdi district Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papiya and her husband Mofizur Rahman to three and a half years in prison in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over amassing wealth beyond known sources of income.

Judge Abu Taher of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 delivered the verdict on Thursday (August 14). 

The court also fined each of the convicts Tk5 lakh, in default of which they will have to serve an additional six months in prison.

Papiya’s lawyer Shakhawat Ullah Bhuiyan said the convicts have already served the sentence handed down by the court.

Mofizur Rahman was produced before the court from prison during the verdict announcement, while Papiya, who was on bail, appeared in person. The verdict was delivered in their presence.

According to the case statement, ACC Deputy Director Shaheen Ara Momtaz filed the case on August 4, 2020 with its Integrated District Office-1 in Dhaka under Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, 2004, accusing the couple of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk6.24 crore.

The charges stated that between October 12, 2019 and February 22 of the current year, Papiya stayed in 25 rooms of The Westin Dhaka, paying Tk3.23 crore in cash for room-nights, restaurant meals, liquor, spa services, laundry, and minibar expenses. She also spent around Tk40 lakh on shopping during her stay, for which she could not show any legal source of income.

Furthermore, between April 2015 and April 2020, she paid Tk30 lakh in house rent, invested Tk1 crore in the car business, Tk20 lakh in KMC Car Wash Solution in Narsingdi, and deposited Tk30,52,958 in various bank accounts under her and her husband’s names — all without any legitimate source, according to the investigation.

MSK/