Trial against casino kingpin Salim Prodhan set to begin today

A Dhaka court is expected to pass an order against online casino kingpin Salim Prodhan in a case filed over amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.

Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman of the Special Judge’s Court-6 of Dhaka will pass the order on Sunday (October 31).

Earlier, on October 17, the court completed hearing on the framing of charges against the accused and set today for passing an order in the case.

A Dhaka court on March 21 accepted the charge sheet against online casino kingpin Salim Prodhan in the case filed over amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka took the charge sheet into cognizance in presence of the lone accused in the case.

On February 4, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar Pradhan, investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the court against Salim.

During its investigation, the ACC found no known source of income for Tk57.8 crore possessed by Salim.

He had been found guilty of accumulating wealth illegally under Section 27 (1) of the ACC Act, 2004. He had also committed a punishable offense under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 by siphoning off money to Thailand and the United States, according to ACC sources.

On October 27, 2019, the ACC filed a case against Salim for amassing illegal wealth amounting to Tk12.27 crore.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested Salim from a Bangkok-bound flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on September 30, 2019.