A Dhaka court has sentenced former Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat to 20 years in prison in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Judge Md Zakaria Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-6 delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
According to the verdict, the court handed him 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Tk 10 lakh for amassing illegal wealth under the ACC law. In default, he will have to serve an additional 10-month in jail.
In the money laundering case, the court awarded him another 10 years' imprisonment along with a fine of Tk 10 lakh. In default, he will have to serve an additional six-month in jail.
Court sources said the accused remained absconding, and therefore, his defense hearing could not be held. The formal recording of testimonies in the case concluded on February 2.
All 21 witnesses, listed in the chargesheet, testified before the court, the court sources added.
A warrant has been issued for Samrat’s arrest as he remains absconding.
The ACC filed the case on November 12, 2019, through Deputy Director Jahangir Alam, accusing Samrat of illegally acquiring Tk 2.94 crore in wealth and laundering money. The charge sheet was submitted to the court on November 26, 2020.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Samrat went into hiding after a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raid on September 18, 2019, exposed illegal casinos in Motijheel. He was later arrested on October 7, 2019, in Chouddagram of Cumilla, along with associate Enamul Haque Arman. A raid on his Kakrail office recovered a foreign pistol, 1,160 yaba tablets, 19 bottles of liquor, two kangaroo skins, and an electric torture device.
Earlier, Samrat received a six-month jail term from a mobile court over possession of kangaroo skins, and additional cases were filed under the Narcotics Control and Arms Acts. He was granted bail in four cases in April 2022 and released after 31 months in custody.
