The Attorney General of Kuwait has decided to imprison Bangladeshi MP Mohammad Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul – accused in money laundering, human trafficking, visa trading and bribery – for a period of 21 days in the central prison, according to Arab Times.
The Public Prosecutor decided to continue the imprisonment of the remaining accused and to release the owner of a company on bail of 2,000 dinars, or Tk 554,373.40, reported the Kuwait-based English-language daily citing its source.
Kuwaiti authorities had previously found involvement of at least nine people with MP Shahid, while investigating accusations against him.
The involved include two in charge of the public authority for manpower, a colonel in the ministry of interior and a woman who owns a company in the oil-rich Gulf country.
Last Saturday Arab Times had also reported that Kuwait’s Public Prosecutor had approached the Central Bank to freeze the bank accounts of MP Shahid and his company.
Citing its informed sources, it had said that the financial balance of the company amounts to about 5.0 million dinars (about Tk 1.38 billion) including 3.0 million dinars (about Tk 8.28 million) as the company’s capital.
The sources had also told the Kuwaiti newspaper that the prosecution had contacted the central bank to freeze the accounts so that MP Shahid and the company did not withdraw as they had become suspicious and would be required to recover from it if the charges are proven before the courts.
Kuwait's Criminal Investigation Department detained MP Shahid, the lawmaker (independent) from Lakshmipur-2, in connection with cases related to human trafficking, visa selling and money laundering on June 06.
Three days later, on June 09, Bangladesh’s Anti Corruption Commission served notices to him and his family members seeking their wealth statements and on June 17 imposed a travel ban on his family.