SC clears the way for trial of Falu
The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the lower court to run the trial proceedings against BNP leader Mosaddak Ali Falu in a corruption case.
On July 8, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against Falu with Motijheel Police Station on charges of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 14.95 crore and concealing information about his property worth Tk 4.57 crore.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha yesterday scrapped a High Court verdict that had quashed the trial proceedings of the case three years ago.
The apex court passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by the ACC challenging the HC judgment.
Following a petition filed by Falu, on January 19, 2012, the HC quashed the trial proceedings of the case. The court also declared that the notice issued by the Anti-graft body asking Falu to submit his wealth statement was illegal, as it was sent to the accused when he was in jail in 2007.
ACC's counsel Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star yesterday that the SC came up with the order after accepting his arguments that the HC had illegally quashed the trial proceedings against Falu, since no notice is required for trying offence of accumulating wealth unlawfully.
Following the SC order, there were no legal restrictions on the lower court to resume the trial proceedings of the case, he said.
Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court would now fix a date for hearing on charge framing in the case, he added.
Khandker Mahbub Hossain appeared for the BNP leader.
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