Bangladesh
Hallmark Scam Hallmark scam: Nine including Chairman and MD get life sentences
Dhaka, March 20: In the case filed by the ACC in connection with the Hallmark scam, the court sentenced nine people, including Managing Director (MD) Md. Tanveer Mahmood and his wife and Group Chairman Jasmine Islam, to life imprisonment.
Judge Md. Abul Kashem of Dhaka Special Judge Court-1 announced the verdict on Tuesday. They were sentenced to imprisonment for two years, one for seven years and the other for ten years. The court sentenced the remaining seven people to 17 years in prison and another to five years in prison.
On March 12, after the presentation of arguments by the ACC and the accused, the judgment date was fixed on March 19. The managing director of the company, Tanveer Mahmud, his wife, the chairman of the company, Jasmine Islam, and the general manager, Tushar Ahmed, are 19 accused in this case.
In the case, the accused embezzled Tk 10 crore 50 lakh with a loan of around Tk 526 crore in the name of non-existent Max Spinning Mills. In the case, the court has accepted the testimony of 57 of the total 81 witnesses of the charge sheet. On March 27, 2016, the court framed charges against the accused. The former UP chairman fled from the court after hearing the sentence.
Meanwhile, Md. Jamal Uddin Sarkar, the former chairman of Tentuljhora Union Parishad of Hemayetpur, Savar, who was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in the case filed by the ACC in the Hallmark scam, escaped from the court.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-1 judge Md. Abul Kashem announced the verdict in this case on Tuesday. The accused Md. Jamal Uddin Sarkar, who is on bail, appeared in court to hear the verdict. He also signed the power of attorney. The court sentenced him to seven years imprisonment in two separate sections. After hearing the sentence, he ran away from the court. Jamal Uddin's lawyer Haroon Or Rashid said that he was present in the court when the verdict was announced. After the verdict was announced, I looked back and saw that he was not there.
Rajiv Dey, bench assistant of the concerned court, said that the accused Jamal was on bail in this case. Attended today. His bail was revoked as he was not found after the verdict. An arrest warrant has been issued against him.
