Destiny Group MD Rafiqul’s bail hearing deferred

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has deferred the bail hearing of Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin in two cases filed against him for money laundering and embezzlement.

The Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order on Sunday (September 20) morning, saying ‘Not today and tomorrow’ as the verdict copy did not reach the court.

Advocate Syed Ahmad Raza stood for Rafiqul Amin while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the hearing in the court.

Earlier on August 20, the High Court denied bail to Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin in the two cases filed for money laundering and embezzlement.

The court also asked the trial court to dispose of the two cases within six months.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel made the order. Later, Rafiqul Amin filed a petition with the Appellate Division against the rejection order of his bail by the High Court.

The ACC filed two cases against the Destiny officials, including MD Rafiqul Amin on July 31, 2012, accusing them of money laundering and embezzlement.

On July 31, 2012, ACC Deputy Director Mozahar Ali Sarder filed a case with Kalabagan police station against 12 Destiny Group officials for laundering Tk2,106.64 crore out of Destiny’s tree plantation project.

On the same day, ACC Assistant Director Towfiqul Islam filed another case against 22 top officials of the company, including the aforementioned 12, for laundering Tk1,178.61 crore from Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (DMCSL).

The ACC claimed that the company laundered a total of Tk3,285 crore, cheating investors out of their fortunes.

Rafiqul Amin has been in jail since October 11, 2012, and sought bail several times, but his petitions have been rejected, according to sources familiar with the case.