Shawdesh Desk:

Dhaka Special Judge Court-8 on Tuesday sentenced Awami League expelled leaders Enamul Haque Enu and his brother Rupon Bhuiyan to seven years imprisonment in a case filed with Bangshal police station under the money laundering prevention act.

Judge Md Badrul Alam Bhuiyan handed down the verdict in presence of the two accused. The court also fined them Tk 52.88 crore in default to suffer six months more in jail.

The court, however, acquitted six other accused — Shahidul Haque, Rashidul Haque Bhuiyan, Merajul Haque Shiplu, Joy Gopal Sarkar, Pavel Rahman and Bhulu Chandra Dev — as the charges against them were not proved.

Defence lawyer Mizanur Rahman said they would file appeal challenging the verdict.

On August 31, 2020, Criminal Investigation Department filed a case with Bangshal Police Station against 11 people, including the two brothers. But after the investigation, three names were dropped and charge sheet was submitted against eight people.

Earlier, on April 25 in 2022, Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 sentenced 11 people including Enu-Rupan to seven years imprisonment in a money laundering case filed with Wari police station.

On January 13, 2020, law enforcer arrested Enamul Haque Enu and Rupon Bhuiyan during a raid at the height of the casino scandal in sports and recreational clubs in Dhaka.

They were subsequently named in 12 cases with different police stations on charges relating to amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.

On September 24 in 2019, the RAB recovered Tk 50 million in cash, eight kg gold and six firearms following raids on Enu and Rupon’s homes, and two houses of their staff and a friend.

The elite police unit claimed the recovered items were bought with the illegal funds they had amassed from the casino business.

Enu, a shareholder of Dhaka Wanderers’ Club — one of the first establishments busted during the crackdown on casino operations — in 2019 was the vice-president of Gendaria Thana Awami League. His brother Rupon was its joint general secretary of the same unit.