SC scraps Mockbul’s acquittal

The Supreme Court today scrapped a High Court verdict that acquitted former Awami League lawmaker Mockbul Hossain and his wife in a corruption case.

A special judge’s court on May 6, 2008 sentenced Mockbul to 13 years' imprisonment for concealing wealth information from Anti-Corruption Commission and amassing wealth beyond known sources of income.

He was handed down 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for illegally accumulating wealth worth Tk 5.33 crore and three years' simple jail for concealing information of wealth worth over Tk 2.84 crore in the wealth statement submitted to the ACC.

The special judge’s court also fined Mockbul Tk 10 lakh and sentenced his wife Fatema Tahera Khanam to three years in jail for abetting her husband in the corruption.

The ACC filed the corruption case with Mohammadpur Police Station against Mockbul and his wife on August 16, 2007.

Following an appeal filed by Mockbul, the HC on January 4, 2011 acquitted the AL leader and his wife of the corruption charges.

The Appellate Division today also asked the HC to rehear the appeal filed by Mockbul challenging the lower court judgment.      

A three-member apex court bench headed by Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana passed the order following an appeal by the ACC challenging the HC verdict that cleared Mockbul and his wife, ACC lawyer Syed Mamun Mahbub told The Daily Star.

He said the HC will now examine whether the lower court verdict that convicted and sentenced the accused were correct or not after rehearing his appeal.

The SC has so far cancelled the acquittal of 17 corruption accused including Mockbul and sent their appeals to the HC for rehearing, SC sources said.

The accused include Relief and Disaster Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former BNP Minister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda, BNP leaders and former state ministers Iqbal Hasan Mahmood Tuku and Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin and his son Mir Helal Uddin, and independent lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim and BNP leader Amanullah Aman.