No bar to try ex-MP Hafiz Ibrahim: HC
The High Court yesterday cleared the way for a lower court concerned to continue the trial proceedings of a money laundering case against former BNP lawmaker Hafiz Ibrahim.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Gulshan Police Station on August 16, 2011 against Hafiz and his wife Mafruza Sultana for laundering USD 175 thousand to Singapore.
According to the case statement, the money was paid allegedly by Siemens Bangladesh Ltd to the duo’s account to help the company win a deal of supplying core telecommunications equipment to Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL).
The amount was sent to a bank account in Singapore between 2005 and 2006.
Yesterday, the HC summarily rejected a petition filed by Hafiz, challenging the case’s trial proceedings and seeking its cancellation.
The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq came up with the order after hearing arguments from the ACC and petitioner’s counsels.
ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for the Special Court-3 of Dhaka to continue the trial proceedings against Hafiz and Mafruza and other accused following the HC order. He said Hafiz filed the petition to delay the trial proceedings purposefully.
Meanwhile, Hafiz’s lawyer Advocate Sabbir Hamza Chowdhury told this correspondent that his client will move an appeal before the Appellate Division challenging the HC order, as the case was not filed in accordance with the law.
Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam argued for Hafiz.
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