Contractor Golam Kibria Shamim, widely known as GK Shamim, has been sentenced to five years and six months of rigorous imprisonment for acquiring illegal and undisclosed wealth.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Dhaka's Special Judge Court-4. However, his mother, Ayesha Akter, has been acquitted in the same case.
In addition to the prison term, the court fined GK Shamim Tk 100,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three months of simple imprisonment. Furthermore, the court ordered the confiscation of Tk 2.97 billion worth of illegal assets linked to Shamim.
While the allegations of acquiring illegal wealth were proven, the court acquitted him of money laundering charges due to insufficient evidence. Similarly, his mother was acquitted as the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations against her.
ACC prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam stated that the court convicted Shamim under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act. However, despite their efforts to prove the money laundering charges, the court ruled in Shamim's favor on that count. The commission will decide whether to appeal the verdict.
The case was initially set for a verdict on February 17, but on that day, Shamim's lawyer filed a petition for further cross-examination of the investigating officer. The court granted the request, leading to additional witness testimony, defense statements, and final arguments before rescheduling the verdict for March 20.
The case originated on October 21, 2019, when ACC's Deputy Director Md Salahuddin filed charges against Shamim and his mother, alleging that they had illegally acquired Tk 2.97 billion in assets. The charge sheet was submitted on January 17, 2021, and the court formally began proceedings on October 18, 2022.
According to the investigation, by the 2018-2019 fiscal year, Shamim had accumulated Tk 500 million in immovable assets. Although his tax records accounted for Tk 402.14 million, the ACC could not verify the legal source of the entire amount.
During a raid on his residence, authorities seized Tk 18.12 million in cash, Tk 7.47 million in foreign currency, fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) worth Tk 1.65 billion in Shamim and his mother's names, Tk 435.74 million in business investments under his mother's name, and Tk 363.51 million in movable assets, including company shares, vehicles, and additional FDRs. The ACC found no legitimate source for these assets.
As no legal income source could be traced for Shamim's mother, the ACC filed the case, accusing both of amassing Tk 2.97 billion in undisclosed wealth.
