Concealing Information About Wealth
Former BNP MP's jail term upheld
HC however declares he served his 3-yr term during stay in jail custody
The High Court yesterday upheld three years' jail sentence of former BNP lawmaker Hafiz Ibrahim for concealing information about his wealth. The trial court awarded him the punishment in 2008.
It also fined him Tk 50 lakh for the offence and ruled that in default, Hafiz would have to serve one year more in prison.
The HC said it would be considered that the three years' jail sentence of Hafiz was served out, as he had already been in jail for more than two years in the charge.
The court, however, acquitted Hafiz of another charge of amassing illegal wealth. The trial court had jailed him for 10 years for the offence. Both the charges were brought in a case filed with Gulshan Police Station on May 8, 2007.
The bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty ordered the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission to confiscate the properties of Hafiz's wife Mafruza Sultana in line with the lower court verdict.
The HC judges came up with the verdict after hearing an appeal filed by Hafiz challenging the trial court judgment on him.
The trial court order that had sentenced Mafruza to three years' imprisonment for aiding and abetting her husband in accumulating illegal wealth will remain in force, as the HC did not say anything about it, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.
He said Mafruza had been absconding after the case was filed during the regime of military-backed caretaker government in 2007.
The ACC will move an appeal before the Supreme Court's Appellate Division against the HC verdict that acquitted Hafiz of the charge of amassing illegal wealth, said Khurshid, adding that Mafruza had not moved any appeal before the HC against the trial court verdict on her.
On June 19, 2008, a special court sentenced Hafiz to 13 years in prison for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information on assets in the wealth statement submitted to the ACC. It also jailed Mafruza for three years for aiding and abetting her husband in accumulating illegal wealth.
The court also fined the BNP leader Tk 1 crore for the offences and said he would have to serve one and a half years more in prison if he failed to pay the amount.
Mafruza was also fined Tk 1 crore. In default, she would have to spend six months more in jail. The court also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate Mafruza's properties.