HC acquits GK Shamim in graft case

The High Court yesterday acquitted expelled Jubo League leader Golam Kibria Shamim, widely known as GK Shamim, and his seven bodyguards from a money laundering case in which he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment by a lower court.

It also scrapped the lower court verdict that sentenced his bodyguards to four years' imprisonment, Deputy Attorney General Md Hemayet Ullah told The Daily Star.

The bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Jabid Hossain delivered the verdict following appeals filed by GK Shamim and the other accused, challenging the trial court judgement.

Advocate Mosaddek Billah, a lawyer for the accused, told The Daily Star that his clients will get released from jail following the HC verdict if they are not arrested in other cases.

Senior lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal also appeared for GK Shamim and others during hearing of the appeals.

On July 17, 2023, a Dhaka court handed down the sentences to GK Shamim and the others in the case filed over laundering Tk 195 crore to Singapore and Malaysia.

His seven bodyguards -- Md Delwar Hossain, Md Murad Hossain, Md Jahidul Islam, Md Shahidul Islam, Md Kamal Hossain, Md Samsad Hossain, and Md Aminul Islam -- were sentenced to four years in jail for assisting GK Shamim, who was a top contractor of government projects, in acquiring the laundered money.

                Rab on September 20 of 2019 arrested him on charges of extortion and tender manipulation. His bodyguards were also arrested then. Later, Rab filed the case against them with Gulshan Police Station.