Graft trial against Moudud to continue

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court order that cleared the way to continue the trial proceedings of a corruption case against BNP’s standing committee member Moudud Ahmed.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain dismissed a leave to appeal petition filed by Moudud Ahmed, challenging the HC order.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Gulshan Police Station on September 16, 2007 against Moudud on charges of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 7.38 crore and concealing information about his wealth worth Tk 4.40 crore.

On April 8 this year, the HC summarily rejected a revision petition filed by Moudud challenging the lower court order that dismissed his application for halting the trial proceedings.

In the revision petition, Moudud also prayed to the HC to stay the trial proceedings against him.

Later, Moudud filed the leave to appeal petition with the SC challenging the HC order.

Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud appeared for Moudud, while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan argued for the ACC.

Meanwhile yesterday, during hearing the leave to appeal petition, the apex court asked the HC to dispose of seven writ petitions filed by Barrister Moudud regarding the assessments of his income tax as soon as possible, Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.