Charge framed against Moudud in graft case

A Dhaka court today framed charges against former BNP law minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed in a corruption case filed during the regime of military-backed caretaker government.

Judge KM Imrul Kayes of the Special Judge Court-6 of Dhaka also fixed July 26 for recording statements of the witnesses of the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

At the same time, the court rejected an application filed by Moudud Ahmed, who was recently evicted from his Gulshan residence following a Supreme Court order, expressing no-confidence in Judge Imrul Kayes.

Contacted, Barrister Moudud told The Daily Star that the judge [Imrul Kayes] has framed charges against him in his absence and without asking him whether he is guilty or not guilty.

“The judge illegally framed charges against me, as he did not read out the charges before me and did not ask me whether I am guilty or not guilty. I had submitted an application to the judge, saying that I will not get justice from him (Imrul Kayes) as he was over enthusiastic to hurriedly frame charges against me, but he rejected the application,” he said.

The accused BNP leader said the judge has framed the charges against him although a revision petition against this judge’s order regarding his expenditure mentioned in the case has been pending with the High Court.

“I will now get the revision petition disposed of from the High Court. Then, I will challenge at the High Court the charge framing order in the case and will move a petition before the High Court for transferring the court where the case is pending,” he added.

ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told this correspondent that Moudud Ahmed had challenged at the High Court and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court the legality of every step taken by the ACC regarding the corruption case against him.

The HC and apex court has cleared the way for the lower court to run the trial proceedings of the case, he said, adding that the lower court will not determine through examining documents, evidence and statements from the witnesses whether Moudud Ahmed had amassed wealth beyond his known source of income.     

 On September 16, 2007, the ACC filed the case against Moudud with Gulshan Police Station on charge of amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income and withholding information about his assets.

The first information report (FIR) of the case said Moudud showed movable and immovable properties worth over Tk 13.23 crore in his account of wealth submitted to the ACC on July 23, 2007.

On May 15, 2008, the ACC pressed charges against Moudud in the case alleging that he (Moudud) amassed wealth worth over Tk 7.38 crore through illegal means and concealed information about wealth worth over Tk 4.40 crore from the commission.