Raintree hotel MD unaware of liquor finds

Staff Correspondent: Shah Md Adnan Harun, Managing Director (MD) of The Raintree Dhaka, the upscale hotel in the capital’s posh area Banani where two university girls were allegedly raped in March, said that he was unaware of liquor finds in the hotel.

MD Adnan Harun came up with the comment while replying to newsmen after the quizzing at the office of customs intelligence on Tuesday.

We have submitted necessary documents to the office of customs intelligence against VAT dodging. The customs intelligence officials are satisfied with the documents submitted. We have no license to run a bar in the hotel. I am not aware of liquor find in the hotel, Adnan Harun told reporters.

Earlier, he reached the headquarters of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) at Kakrail in the city around 10:55am.

The CIID summoned him on charges of illegal liquor and tax evasion.

Earlier on Monday, the Raintree Hotel authorities appealed to the High Court to stop the proceedings of the notice of the directorate and the court granted it.

Later, after the petition of the state against the order of the High Court, the order was stayed for six weeks.

Following an alleged rape of two university girls in the hotel, the hotel came under the radar of customs intelligence, which found Tk 8 lakh VAT graft into Raintree’s account in the lone month of its legal operation in May 14 and 10 bottles of liquor kept without license.

risingbd/DHAKA/May 23, 2017/MA Rahman/Amirul