HC urged to hear plea against Tarique’s acquittal

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has taken a move to get a ruling from the High Court on BNP leader Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case involving Tk 20.41 crore.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan today prayed to an HC bench to fix a date for hearing an appeal the commission filed in 2013 challenging the acquittal of Tarique, the eldest son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, in the case.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain is likely to fix a date tomorrow for hearing the appeal, Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star after moving the prayer before it.

He also said a judgment will come from the HC on Tarique after it will hold hearing on the appeal.    

The ACC filed the case against Tarique and his friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun in October 2009 for laundering the money to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.

On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique and sentenced Mamun to seven years' imprisonment and fined Tk 40 crore. The ACC then filed an appeal with the HC on December 5, 2013, challenging Tarique's acquittal.

Following the appeal, the HC on January 19 last year asked the lower court to send the case records to it and ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court in the case.

The HC, however, asked the trial court to grant him bail after his surrender.

The money laundering case is one of the 16 cases, including the ones relating to the August 21 grenade attacks, filed against Tarique. He was arrested on March 7, 2007 during a crackdown by the military-backed caretaker government.

After securing parole, he went to London in September 2008 for treatment and has been there since.

Following an appeal filed by Mamun, the HC on April 29, 2014, stayed fine of Tk 40 crore on Mamun in the same money laundering case.