Suspended DIG Mizanur, Basir plead not guilty in graft case

Suspended deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Mizanur Rahman and suspended director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Khandaker Enamul Basir today pleaded not guilty in their statements in self defence in a graft case filed against the duo.

The two accused said they would not produce any witness to vouch for their innocence, but would rather file written statements in their defence and pleaded time for that.

After hearing statements of the two accused, Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 adjourned the hearing till 12 January and asked Mizanur and Basir to submit they written statements on that day.

The court on 18 March, 2020, framed charges against the two accused in the case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayesh on 9 February, 2020, accepted the charge-sheet and transferred the case for further proceedings to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4.

ACC Director Sheikh Mohammad Fanafilya on 19 January, 2020, filed the charge-sheet against the duo for allegedly leaking information and taking bribes.

The anti-graft body on 16 July, 2019, filed the case with its Dhaka district coordination office-1 under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

Both the officials were suspended from their respected agencies after the allegations of taking and giving bribes were lodged against them.

Mizanur leaked a couple audio clips, saying he has given Tk40 lakh as a bribe to Khandaker Enamul Basir to suppress the graft allegations brought against him.