Destiny MD Rafiqul Amin denied bail in 2 money laundering cases

The High Court today rejected two bail petitions filed by Destiny Group Managing Director Md Rafiqul Amin in connection with two money laundering cases involving Tk 4,200 crore.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the rejection orders after holding a hearing on the petitions.

The HC rejected the bail petitions of Rafiqul as he did not pay any money to the government in line with the Supreme Court's Appellate Division order, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star.

He said the HC bench asked Rafiqul to settle the issue.

The HC also directed the lower court concerned to finish the trial proceedings of the money laundering cases against the Destiny officials in six months.

Lawyers Abdul Matin Khasru and Mainul Islam appeared for Rafiqul during the hearing.                         

Rafiqul, now in jail, filed the petitions on August 16 through his lawyer Ujjal Bhowmick with the HC seeking bail in the cases against him on grounds that he has been suffering in jail for a long period of time since October 11, 2012 and he is now physically ill.

Meanwhile, Anti Corruption Commission's Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan and DAG Manik vehemently opposed the bail petitions saying that Rafiqul cannot be granted bail as there are specific allegations of money laundering against him.

Earlier on November 13 2016, Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul and Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd Chairman Mohammad Hossain were granted bail by the Appellate Division on a condition that they must pay the government Tk 2,800 crore in six weeks by selling 35 lakh matured trees planted under the company's tree plantation project.

Rafiqul and Hossain have not paid the money yet in line with the SC directive, the DAG told The Daily Star today.