Sunday, July 18, 2010

A Dhaka court on Sunday fixed August 18 for hearing on a petition seeking a court order to bring back Tk 19.7 crore that Arafat Rahman Koko, Khaleda Zia’s younger son, had allegedly siphoned off to Singapore.

Mohammad Ismail Hossain of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order after Koko’s lawyer submitted a petition praying for adjournment of the hearing.

Deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank Ziaul Hasan Siddique on July 12 this year submitted the petition seeking permission to bring back the money.

The co-accused in the case is Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of former shipping minister late Akbar Hossain.

Koko was arrested on September 2, 2007 in connection with the Gatco graft case and was later released on parole for treatment abroad.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against Koko on March 17, 2009 under the Money Laundering Prevention Act on charge of siphoning off Tk 19.7 crore to Singapore.

According to the deposition of the ACC, a portion of the money deposited to Koko's bank account was from an account of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd in the USA.

China Harbour was operating in Bangladesh during the time of the transfer of the money as it was constructing the New Mooring Container Terminal.

On November 15, 2009 the court accepted the charge sheet against Koko and Saimon.