Published: 08:36 PM, 17 May 2017
Apan Jewellers fails to provide docs for gold, diamonds
Owners of Apan Jewellers have failed to provide any document against the stockpiling of about 500kg of gold and 427g of diamond ornaments.
The owners of Apan Jewellers have failed to provide documents against the stockpiling of nearly 500kg of gold and 427g of diamond ornaments.
Dildar Ahmed and his brothers Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed went to the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate or CIID to be quizzed on Wednesday.
The Raintree hotel’s Managing Director HM Adnan Haroon, however, failed to appear before the CIID to answer questions on the illegal stockpiling of alcohol and evasion of import duties.
Lawyers for Haroon said he was sick and not in a position to appear before the CIID.
After quizzing the Apan Jewllers owners and hearing Adnan's plea for more time, the CIID asked them to reappear on May 23.
The two businesses are facing intense criticism after Dildar's son Safat Ahmed was accused of raping two university students at the hotel in Banani.
Customs intelligence officials said they are investigating Apan Jewellers on 'public demand'.
After the five-hour questioning of Dildar and his brothers, CIID Director General Moinul Khan told the media that the directorate 'seized' the ornaments during raids on Apan Jewellers outlets on Sunday and Monday.
The ornaments were 'seized' in the business's DCC Market and Suvastu Tower in Gulshan, Uttara, Mouchak and Shimanto Square in Jigatala shops because the authorities could not show any papers for the stocks. Moinul said.
"The three owners could not provide any legal documents even today (Wednesday)," he said.
The CIID chief also said they submitted applications asking for 15 more days. The customs asked them to appear again and take part in the hearing on the gold and diamond cache with necessary papers on those at 2pm on May 23, he added.
Emerging from the CIID office after the questioning, Dildar told reporters he was 'innocent'.
"I did business the way other people in the country do. We do not run any illegal business anywhere," he said.
"...If I have done anything wrong, I beg the people's mercy," he added.
