DHAKA: The owner of Banani’s Raintree hotel, where the two private university girls were allegedly raped on March 28, could not provide satisfactory answers to the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID).

CIID’s director general Dr Moinul Khan said this at a press conference after quizzing the owner in CIID’s headquarters in city’s Kakral on Tuesday (May 23).

The hotel owner Shah Md Adnan Harun along with his paternal uncle and maternal uncle appeared before the CIID at abut 11:00 am for explanation about the VAT dodging and liquor found in the hotel.

The CIID had asked the hotel authorities to appear before it on May 17. But Adnan Harun sought time to appear before the customs intelligence, citing reason that he was sick. Later, the CIID fixed may 23 for fresh date for appearing.

Moinul Khan said they believe that the Raintree hotel was selling liquor by dodging VAT and tax. It is nothing but corruption, he added.

He said that they quizzed the hotel owner verbally and in written. “Adnan Harun admits that the recovered alcohol is not juice, it is foreign liquor. During quizzing, he also informed that they have no license of liquor sale,” he said.

Adnan Harun informed the CIID officials that the liquor may come in the hotel through foreign guests, as some China guests came here on April 30.     

The CIID director general said that the Raintree hotel dodged VAT, as it collected over Tk. 8 lakh VAT from the customers but paid only 10,000. Cases will be filed against the hotel authorities over money laundering, smuggling and tax evasion after investigation, he added.

Earlier on May 14, the CIID officials recovered huge foreign liquor from the hotel. A team of the CIIC conducted a drive at the Raintree hotel and found 10 bottles of liquor.

BDST: 2030 HRS, MAY 23, 2017
EHJ/SMS