Graft trial of ex-judge stayed

The Supreme Court today stayed the trial proceedings against former adviser of the caretaker government Justice Fazlul Haque in a corruption case.

The apex court also allowed Fazlul Haque to move an appeal before this court against the High Court’s March 15 verdict that cleared the way for the lower court to continue the trial proceedings against him.

A three-member bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order following a leave to appeal petition filed by Fazlul Haque challenging the HC verdict.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on April 13, 2008 filed the case with Ramna Police Station against Fazlul Haque on charges of amassing wealth worth Tk 97.37 lakh through illegal means and concealing asset information from the ACC.

ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan after the HC verdict on that day told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for the trial court to continue trial proceedings of the corruption case against Justice Fazlul Haque following the HC order.

The same day, Fazlul Haque's lawyer Advocate Helal Uddin Mollah said his client will move an appeal before the Appellate Division seeking stay on the HC order and the trial proceedings of the case.

Justice Fazlul Haque is now on bail, he added.