Another special court rejected the bail petition of former state minister Amanullah Aman's wife Sabera Aman and sent her to jail after she surrendered to the court.

Two other special courts re-fixed May 15 for hearing of charge framing in two separate graft cases against Aman and his wife and Mir Nasiruddin and his son Mir Helaluddin. The date was rescheduled following time prayers submitted by their counsels arguing that they did not get the certified copies of the case-related documents.

Another court meanwhile ordered further investigation into the graft case against former state minister for planning Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir following a petition filed by the prosecution lawyers. The court directed the authorities concerned to submit the probe report by May 21.

The three former ministers and a family member of one of them were produced before the special courts after they were set up at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar MP hostels for the trials of graft cases against high-profile corruption suspects.

Aman, Nasir and Alamgir, who had once visited the parliament building in flag stand cars, yesterday went to the area as accused in different graft cases.

Aman, Nasir and his son Helal were brought to the courts in a prison van from the Dhaka Central Jail around 11:40am while Alamgir was brought from the Kashimpur Jail by a micro-bus at 12:15pm. Sabera Aman appeared before the court on a wheel chair due to illness.

CASE AGAINST MAMUN
After hearing from the prosecution and the defence, Judge Ashraf Hossain of the Fifth Special Court fixed May 14 for order on charge framing.

Earlier on April 30, Judge Momin Ullah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court framed charges against Mamun, counsel of the accused AKM Fakhrul Islam told the court yesterday.

The judge said according to the case records the matter was fixed for hearing yesterday.

The counsel pleaded for discharging his client, saying the process of Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) asking for wealth statements from 50 high-profile corruption suspects was not proper. Moreover, the metropolitan sessions judge did not have the jurisdiction to take the case into cognisance and the ACC secretary has no authority to issue notice upon any person, the counsel argued.

He also said the ACC has to investigate a person's wealth status before issuing a notice asking him/her to submit wealth statement. The notice issued upon Mamun said his wealth was inconsistent with his income. So, if the investigation was done, its report should be placed before the court. "But if not, how were they [the ACC] satisfied that Mamun acquired wealth which does not match with his known income?" Fakhrul said.

The ACC will have to assign an official through a gazette notification for investigation, he said, asking if it was done in accordance with the ACC Act in case someone was assigned to investigate the matter.

Mamun is a "lone, private individual" for whom it was not possible to commit corruption without connivance of any public servant, Fakhrul added.

Opposing the defence plea, prosecution lawyers Mir Ahmed Ali Salam and AFM Gholam Fattah prayed for charges to be framed against Mamun.

On April 5, the ACC filed the graft case against Mamun with the sessions court for not submitting his wealth statement within its stipulated time.

THREE OTHER CASES
In the First Special Court, Judge Firoz Alam re-fixed the hearing for charge framing against Aman and his wife Sabera on May 15 as their counsel advocate MA Malek said they did not get any certified copy of the case documents.

The court allowed them three working days to collect the copies.

Mir Nasir and his son Mir Helal's counsels also argued the same when their hearing started in the Second Special Court. Judge Amar Kumar Roy also granted the time petition and allowed them three working days to collect necessary papers. The judge fixed the hearing on May 15.

From the dock, Mir Nasir prayed to the court for allowing his lawyers in the jail so that he can consult with them about the case. The court said the matter will be dealt with according to the jail code.

Meanwhile, when the hearing started against Alamgir in the Third Special Court, prosecution lawyer Syed Mizanur Rahman submitted time prayer for further investigation. Judge Shahed Nur Uddin granted the petition and ordered the prosecution to submit the probe report by May 21.

Alamgir is facing graft charges for not mentioning some assets in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC from jail. He told the court that as he was in jail he did not get enough time and was not also allowed to consult with lawyers and relatives to submit his wealth statement properly.

ACC deputy directors Sharmin Ferdousi and Jibon Krishna Roy, investigation officers of the case against Alamgir, submitted the charge sheet, saying Alamgir committed a crime by not disclosing his accurate financial information to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the ACC.

Alamgir also did not mention that Tk 1.17 crore was kept as fixed deposit with Karwan Bazar branch of the IFIC Bank, they said.

ACC deputy directors Sharmin Ferdousi and Abdullah Al Zahid, investigation officers of the case against Nasir and Helal, submitted the charge sheet on March 6, saying Nasir and his son have accumulated assets worth over Tk 24.39 crore through illegal means.

Helal also transferred Tk 2.83 crore from different bank accounts following his father's arrest, the ACC officials added.

ACC deputy directors Abdullah Al Zahid and Jibon Krishna Roy submitted charge sheet in the case against Aman and his wife saying they have amassed properties worth over Tk 10 crore.

They said there are discrepancies between the income and expenditure of the former BNP lawmaker, who also accumulated huge wealth through abuse of power.

The ACC officials accused Sabera of giving false information in her statement to the anti-graft body.

Aman's seven-and-half-year old daughter Nabila was present in the court and was crying after learning that her mother will have to go to jail.

Almagir's wife Sitara Alamgir and brother Prof Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir were present in the court during the hearing.