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The verdict was announced by Kuwait Criminal Court Judge Abdullah Al Osman on Thursday, according to Gulf media reports.
No Bangladeshi legislator has ever been convicted in this way abroad.
Al-Qabas and Al-Rai report that the court also sentenced former Kuwaiti Interior Ministry official Majen al-Jarrah and two other Kuwaiti officials to four years in prison for aiding and inciting Papul.
The two officers were the mediators and agents of the various activities of Papul. All those convicted, including Papul, were fined 19 lakh Kuwaiti dinars.
The judge acquitted two Kuwaiti MPs, Sadun Hammad al-Otaibi and Salah Abdulreda Khurshid, of the charges.
Papul, a Bangladeshi lawmaker, was arrested on the night of June 6 in the Musharraf area of Kuwait. Papul, one of the owners of Marafi Kuwait Company, has a residence permit.
Papul was charged with human trafficking, money laundering and exploitation of commercial workers on the basis of allegations of trafficking by five Bangladeshis.
Subsequently, the Kuwaiti prosecutor’s office investigated and charged nine people, including Papul, with money laundering, human trafficking, bribery and violation of state security.
The formal trial in the Papul case began on September 16 of last year with the formation of charges. Then, the judge set September 26 as the date to announce the verdict in the case.
Major General Majen al-Jarah, a former Deputy Under Secretary of the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry, was among those convicted.
Among the defendants was Major General Majen al-Jarrah, who allegedly assisted in various Papul activities in exchange for bribes while he was deputy undersecretary of the Department of Citizenship, Passports and Residence Permits.
Kuwaiti MPs Sadun Hammad and Salah Khurshid were also accused of accepting bribes and giving illegal benefits. However, it was not proven in court.
Papul, who went to Kuwait as a common worker and built a great empire, was elected as an independent candidate in the Laxmipur-2 constituency in 2016.
In that election, the seat was awarded to the Jatiya Party of the Awami League. But when the Jatiya Party candidate withdrew from the polls at the last minute, party leaders said the local Awami League was working for Papul by saying ‘stop BNP’.
After Papul himself became a deputy, he took his wife Selina Islam as a deputy to a reserved seat in the quota of independent deputies.
Papul was vice president of Banco Comercial NRB, founded by expatriate entrepreneurs, where he has a large stake.
The Bangladeshi community in Kuwait estimates that between 15,000 and 20,000 Bangladeshi expatriates work in the Marafi Kuwait Group, owned by Papul.
Kazi Shahid Islam Papul and his wife Selina Islam. Photo: Facebook
In Bangladesh, the ACC has also brought a case against Papul, his wife, his sister-in-law and their daughter. Papul’s wife, Selina Islam, and their daughter, Wafa Islam, are out on bail in the case.
Papul will have to lose his seat as a member of Parliament for Bangladesh after being convicted of a crime in a court in Kuwait. However, the Secretariat of Parliament will take the initiative to remove its membership only after receiving official information from the concerned authorities.
And if there is any controversy over Papul’s membership, the Electoral Commission’s decision will be considered final.
According to Article 6 (2) of the Constitution of Bangladesh, if a legislator is sentenced to two years in prison for a crime of moral depravity, he will no longer be able to be a member of Parliament for five years after his release.
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