A Dhaka court has acquitted BNP Standing Committee member and former minister Gayeshwar Chandra Roy in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The verdict was delivered on Sunday by Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 Judge Muhammad Kamrul Hasan Khan.
According to documents, the ACC’s Deputy Director SM Mofidul Islam filed the case on 5 January, 2009.
After investigation, he submitted the charge sheet to the court on 5 July of the same year.
The trial began on 4 February, 2010, after charges were framed by then-judge Mozammel Hossain of the same court. During the proceedings, 29 out of 47 listed witnesses testified before the court.
As per the charges, Gayeshwar was accused of constructing a six-storey building in Rayerbazar at a reported cost of Tk 40.8 lakh and another house on ancestral land in Keraniganj at Tk 15.04 lakh.
However, a Public Works Department (PWD) assessment found an additional construction cost of Tk 25.36 lakh that was allegedly undisclosed and beyond known income sources.
Investigators also claimed that electronic appliances worth Tk 58,600 found at his residence were undeclared and inconsistent with his known income.
The case alleged that between 2004 and 2005, using influence as a ruling party leader, he had illegally received Tk 2.61 crore from two constracting firms, Messrs Abdul Monem Ltd and Reza Construction Ltd.
The total value of assets allegedly acquired through illicit means- including the construction costs, household electronics, and received payments—amounted to Tk 2.86 crore, according to the prosecution.
After years of legal proceedings, the court today acquitted Gayeshwar for all charges, citing insufficient evidence.
