Writ petitioner for probing AL MP Golap’s houses in New York

High Court

Jehangir Hussain

A writ petition filed with the High Court Division on Sunday seeking directive on the government to investigate into reports that Awami League MP Abdus Sobhan Miah Golap has nine houses in New York.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Saydul Haque Sumon filed the public interest writ seeking the directive on the government.

The petition also sought a rule asking the government to explain why its inaction in investigating into Golap's alleged corruption  should not be declared as illegal.

The Chief Election Commissioner, chairmen of the Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Board of Revenue, and the home secretary have been made respondents.

A bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat is likely to hear the petition later this week.

According to the media report, Golap concealed information that he is an American citizen and owns nine houses in New York City in his election affidavit in 2018, found investigation by a global media agency.

Golap a former Publicity and Publication Secretary of Awami League, bought the properties between 2014 and 2019, according to a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists.

Of the nine properties, which cost Golap about $4 million, eight were bought with upfront cash payments. His last purchase -- a semi-detached house in Jackson Heights that cost $1.18 million -- was made through a small mortgage and cash in 2019, after he became an MP, according to the report.

The OCCRP investigation found no visible source of income in the US that would enable  him to buy the properties: he made ends meet through a series of low-paid jobs like driving an unlicensed cab in New York City, working as a cashier in a branch of the pharmacy store chain Walgreens and by making pizzas.

Abdus Sobhan Golap bought the properties between 2014 and 2019. He first bought an apartment in 2014. Of the nine properties, which cost Golap about $4 million, eight were bought with upfront cash payments.

He became an MP in 2018.

On February 17, the ruling party publicity and publications secretary filed a Tk 500 crore defamation suit against barrister Sumon allegedly for spreading "false and defamatory" information about him on social media platforms.

“Suman propagated that Abdus Sobhan laundered money by becoming a member of parliament in 2014-2015 which is not true. Abdus Sobhan became a member of parliament in the 2018 national election,” reads the case statement.

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