AB Bank scam: SC stays HC order to return Saiful’s passport

The Supreme Court today stayed a High Court order that directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to return the passport of Saiful Haque, a businessman and accused of AB Bank’s Tk 165 crore laundering case.

Saiful, who is the chairman of Sky Aviation Services, general sales agent of FlyDubai, is believed to be one of the kingpins of the laundering syndicate, ACC’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

He also said the ACC needs not to return the passport of Saiful following the SC chamber judge’s order and therefore, he cannot leave the country. 

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order following a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the ACC challenging the HC order.

Justice Hasan Foez also sent the leave-to-appeal petition to the full bench of the Appellate Division for its further hearing on June 25.

Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan said that the ACC on January 25 arrested Saiful Haque and seized his passport in connection with the case filed over the laundering of around Tk 165 crore of AB Bank between 2013 and 2014.

Saiful recently got released from jail on bail granted by an HC bench following his bail petition.

Following a writ petition filed by Saiful, another HC bench on May 31 ordered the ACC to return his passport in 24 hours.

Then, ACC filed two separate leave-to-appeal petitions with the SC challenging the HC orders.

Both the leave to appeal petitions will be heard by the full bench of the apex court on June 25, the ACC lawyer added.