Graft: ACC prays HC to hear Maya, 5 others’ appeal

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) today prayed to the High Court for hearing the pending appeals filed by six accused including Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya challenging their conviction and sentences handed down to them in separate corruption cases.

Khurshid Alam Khan, a lawyer for ACC, made the prayer as the Supreme Court has earlier sent appeals to the High Court for their re-hearing.

The High Court bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice SM Mozibor Rahman accepted the appeals for hearing.

Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the High Court Bench will later on fixed date for hearing the appeals.

On June 14, the Supreme Court scrapped a High Court verdict that had acquitted Maya of the corruption case filed in 2007 during the caretaker government. Following an appeal filed by Maya, The High Court acquitted him in October 2010.

On the same day, the appellate division sent the appeal of Maya to the High Court for its further hearing and disposal.

The Anti Corruption Commission filed the case against Maya, also ruling AL leader, with Sutrapur Police Station on June 13, 2007 on charge of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 29 lakh and concealing information about it.

A special judge’s court in Dhaka on February 14, 2008 convicted him and sentenced him to 13 years’ imprisonment, fined him Tk 5 crore and ordered confiscation of about Tk 6 crore of his ill-gotten wealth.

Maya, who remained fugitive during the trial, did not contest the December 29, 2008 parliamentary election. He returned home after the AL returned to power through the December 29 parliamentary election. And he filed the appeal with the HC on May 25, 2009 challenging the special court’s verdict. The HC on October 27, 2010 acquitted him of the case.

The five other are: Former BNP minister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda, former state ministers Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Amanullah Aman, and Engineer Monjurul Ahsan Munshi challenging their conviction in separate graft cases.

Separate special court had convicted and sentenced them imprisonment for different terms during the military-backed caretaker government in the corruption cases filed by the ACC.

Later on the High Court following their appeals skipped their conviction and acquitted them from the charges.

All the prayers were accepted by the bench and a date will be fixed later on for hearing.