When he was arrested, the joint forces reportedly seized a hard cash of Tk 97.50 million from his residence. Later, revenue intelligence found out Tk 222.50 million in his different bank accounts.
The army-led joint forces, carrying out operations across the country against serious crime and corruption, arrested Lobi, who hailed from Khulna, at his Gulshan house on February 6 this year.
As the Special Judge's Court, set up at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex, read out the charge, Lobi, standing in the dock, pleaded not guilty.
Earlier, the court rejected the defence counsel's plea for discharging the case.
The formal trial of the case, filed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), will begin tomorrow (Thursday) with deposition by prosecution witnesses.
The NBR sued Lobi for evading the payment of Tk 170 million in income tax, in violation of Section 165/166 of the Income Tax Ordinance 1984.
According to the case, he repeatedly gave "false" information about his real income and expenditure to the Income Tax Department and did not show it in his income tax return.
He also "used his position to conceal information about his real income", the complainant alleged.
After his arrest, the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of NBR collected information of his different bank accounts wherein they found Tk 222.50 million.
Lobi did not submit statement of the money to the NBR for the fiscal year 2005-2006, the complainant added.
Moreover, the complainant stated, Lobi, also former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, did not submit statement about the income from his M/S Rupashi Energy Filling Station at Dhanmondi to the NBR.
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