HC fixes Apr 3 for hearing in Ershad's graft case

HC today fixed April 3 for hearing three separate appeals in a 25-year-old corruption case against former president HM Ershad.

The court also, allowed the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to become a party in two appeals filed by the government seeking enhancement of the punishment of Ershad in the case.

The High Court bench of justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty passed the order after hearing two petitions filed by the ACC seeking its permission to become a party in the appeals of the government.

Among three appeals, one was filed by Ershad seeking acquittal in the case as a lower court had sentenced Ershad to three years imprisonment in the case in 1992.

Two other appeals were filed by the government for enhancing the punishment of Ershad.

Earlier on March 27, 2017 Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha assigned a High Court bench to hear the three separate appeals in a 25-year-old corruption case filed against former president HM Ershad.

The then Bureau of Anti-Corruption (Bac), which became defunct after formation of the ACC in 2004, had filed the case against Ershad with Cantonment Police Station in 1992 on the charge of misappropriating Tk 1.91 crore by misusing powers at different times when he was the president from December 11, 1983 to December 6, 1990.