DHAKA: Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, died at a hospital in Malaysia on Saturday.

Press secretary to the BNP chief Maruf Kamal Khan confirmed the matter in a press briefing at Chairperson’s Gulshan political office in the afternoon.

“Arafat Rahman was rushed to a hospital after he felt chest pain. On duty doctors declared him dead around 12:30pm Bangladesh time,” he told the journalists.

The body of Koko will be arrived in the country on Monday.

On June 23 of 2011, a Bangladesh court sentenced Arafat Rahman Koko, the fugitive son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, to six years in jail for laundering money taken as bribes from two global companies.

Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of Special Judge’s Court, said in his verdict Arafat Rahman was guilty of laundering more than Tk 200 million ($2.66 million) to Singapore.

The judge also fined Koko Tk 190 million ($2.53 million) and asked authorities to get the smuggled money returned.

Koko, the younger son of Khaleda Zia, was accused of taking bribes from China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. and the Bangladesh subsidiary of Germany’s industrial giant Siemens AG for helping them win government contracts during his mother’s 2001-2006 premiership.

The punishment was supposed to be effective from the day of Koko’s return or surrender.

Hossain also referred to a 2009 move by the U.S. authorities that seized nearly $3 million related to a bribery scheme in Bangladesh involving Siemens.

Siemens pleaded guilty and had agreed to pay at least $450 million in fines to settle the U.S. corruption charges involving subsidiaries in Bangladesh, Venezuela and Argentina.

The United States had alleged that Siemens and China Harbor Engineering Company bribed Koko to secure the contracts.

The U.S. said the bribes were routed through U.S. financial institutions, giving it jurisdiction.

Arafat Rahman Koko, who was arrested on April 16 in 2007, tried in absentia. Koko was released on parole on July 17, 2008 to pave the way for his departure for Bangkok.

He was living in Bangkok since then on the grounds of poor health. He later refused to return for trial.

He was arrested by a military-backed interim government before the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power through a general election in 2008.

On March 17 of 2009, ACC filed a case against Koko, who was then in Bangkok for treatment, under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2009 for siphoning off Tk 19.7 crore to Singapore.

According to ACC’s deposition, a portion of the money deposited to Koko's bank account was from an account of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd in the USA.

At the time during the money transfer, the company was working in Bangladesh on the construction of New Mooring Container Terminal in Chittagong.

The trial court has earlier recorded statements of 10 prosecution witnesses in this case.

Koko’s trial on corruption charges commenced on January 4, 2011 in Bangladesh.

BDST: 1535 HRS, JAN 24, 2015