Jaha Alam in Jail: ACC washes its hands of the matter

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday submitted a report to the High Court, claiming that the commission was not responsible for Jaha Alam being in jail for three years due to an identity mess-up.

On February 4, Alam was released from Kashimpur High Security Jail after the HC exonerated him from 26 corruption cases, in which he was in jail instead of the real accused, Abu Salek.

Yesterday, the ACC submitted a 130-page report through its lawyer to the HC, saying that the commission had placed charge sheets in 26 cases against Alam before the trial courts on the basis of the documents supplied by 18 banks, including Bangladesh Bank and Sonali Bank.

Citing the report, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the officials concerned of 18 banks had identified Jaha Alam as Abu Salek about “mismanagement of money”.

The commission has not the authority to challenge the banks' documents over filing the cases, he said, adding that the bank officials concerned could give their explanations of identifying Alam.

After hearing from the bank officials, the HC can determine who are really responsible for filing the cases and Alam's suffering in jail, the lawyer said.

The trial courts may decide whether Alam can be compensated for his suffering in jail, he said.

The lawyer said the commission appealed to the HC to make five banks party to the HC's suo moto rule so that the court could hear from them about the Jaha Alam issue.

The five banks are Bangladesh Bank, Sonali Bank, Brac Bank, City Bank and UCBL Bank, he added.

The lawyer said the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader is scheduled to hear the issue today.        

Police arrested Alam in 2016.

On January 28 this year, the HC summoned the ACC officials concerned to appear before it on February 4 to give their explanations over the case.

The court passed the order on a suo moto move after Bangla daily Prothom Alo on that day published a report headlined “Wrong accused in jail in 33 cases: Sir, I am Jaha Alam, not Salek.”

Supreme Court lawyer Amit Das Gupta placed the news report before the HC for necessary orders in this regard.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why Alam should not be acquitted of the cases in which he was not an accused.

After the media reported that Alam was wrongly accused, the ACC launched an investigation.

The anti-graft body found Alam's claim to be true.