Customs Intelligence to file 3 cases against Raintree Hotel

Staff Correspondent: Customs Intelligence Investigation Directorate (CIID) has decided to file three cases on Monday against the Raintree Hotel, the upscale hotel in Dhaka where two university girls were allegedly raped last month.

The decision came as the authorities on Sunday found evidence of dodging VAT, tax and currency smuggling against the hotel after conducting a day-long drive there.

Customs Intelligence Joint Director Shafiur Rahman confirmed the matter to risingbd.com.

The authorities of the Customs Intelligence found the hotel to have collected Tk 8.30 lakh VAT charges from customers, but paying only Tk 9,000 to the government, Shafiur Rahman said.

Earlier in the day, the Customs Intelligence seized 10 bottles of alcohol conducting the drive at the Raintree residential hotel in the capital's Banani.

“The hotel opened on April 8 this year. It collected Tk 8.30 lakh as VAT, but paid the government Tk 9,000. Also, we found 10 bottles of liquor. They don’t have license for it,” said Shafiur Rahman.

We have also found evidence of reportedly smuggling currency in the hotel documents, he added.

“Considering all these things, we have decided to file three separate cases against the hotel authorities under VAT, narcotic and customs acts,” he said.

The hotel came under scanner after the allegation of the rape incident surfaced earlier this month. It prompted the customs intelligence to investigate into the hotel today.

The reported rape incident is said to have taken place on March 28 in a birthday party held at the hotel. Two girls were raped by two youths under assistance of three others.

Two of the accused – Ahmed Shafat and Shadman Sakif – have been arrested. Police found evidence of rape from the testimonial provided by them during interrogation.

While a court has placed the duo in remand, police are hunting for three others – Nayeem Ashraf alias Halim, Shafat’s driver Billal, and his bodyguard Abul Kalam Azad.

risingbd/DHAKA/May 14, 2017/MA Rahman/Amirul