Writ challenging Maya's JS membership rejected

The High Court today rejected a writ petition challenging the legality of holding offices of minister and lawmaker by Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya after the Supreme Court scrapped his acquittal in a corruption case.

The HC bench of Justice Rifat Ahmed passed the order after holding hearing on the petition today.

The court rejected the petition as an appeal of Maya challenging the lower court verdict that jailed him for 13 years is pending before the HC, deputy attorney general Motaher Hossain Sazu told The Daily Star.

He also said that the HC rejected the petition also considering that the parliament and Election Commission can take decision over his parliamentary membership.

Earlier on August 17, a two-judge High Court bench passed split orders on a writ petition challenging the legality of Maya's holding offices of minister and lawmaker with conviction in a corruption case.

Senior judge of the bench Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury issued a rule asking Maya to explain in two weeks under what authority he was holding the offices after the Supreme Court had scrapped his acquittal in the case.

Junior judge of the same HC bench Justice Md Ashraful Kamal summarily rejected the petition on the ground that the Jatiya Sangsad Speaker and the Election Commission can decide any dispute in this regard as per the constitution.

The HC bench then sent the petition along with the split orders to the chief justice for a decision.