Graft case: HC clears way for trial of Mirza Abbas

The High Court today cleared the way for the lower court concerned to resume trial proceedings against former BNP minister Mirza Abbas in a corruption case filed on charge of fraudulently allotting an industrial plot.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain also ordered the lower court to finish the trial proceedings of the case in the next one year.

The court rejected a petition filed by Abbas seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings of the case against him and lifted its 2008 order that stayed the proceedings.

The HC bench delivered the verdict on the ground that the trial proceedings of a case cannot be scrapped if the trial court starts recording deposition of witnesses as per the Appellate Division directive and elements of offences were disclosed, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.  

He said the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka has recorded three prosecution witnesses of the case.

The ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on July 15, 2007 against former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas, former BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Lobi and Mahfuzul Islam, a government official.

In the case statement, the trio was accused of illegally allotting an industrial plot in collusion with each other in Tejgaon Industrial Area for a business organisation, Pacific Chemicals Ltd, owned by Lobi in 2006. It was mentioned that the accused exercised their influence in allotting the 19.44 katha plot ignoring government rules.

Without having no-objection certificates from the Board of Investment and the Department of Environment, the plot was allotted as an industrial plot.

The ACC in February 2008 submitted charge sheet to the lower court against them in the case.

Following the petition, the HC stayed the proceedings of the case against Abbas.

Abbas and Lobi are now bail in this case, while Mahfuzul is absconding, the ACC lawyer added.