Orion chief asked to surrender

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed absconding controversial businessman Obaidul Karim to surrender before the court on Sunday in connection with four corruption cases filed against him by the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC).
An HC bench of Justice Mir Hasmat Ali and Justice Shamim Hasnain passed the order after hearing four separate pending writ petitions filed by Obaidul Karim, also chairman of Orion Group, seeking bail and permission to surrender before the court.
Meanwhile, another HC bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Mohammad Azizul Haque yesterday granted an ad-interim bail to Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Ward Commissioner Chowdhury Alam for four months in connection with three extortion cases.
CASE AGAINST OBAIDUL
Obaidul's lawyer Barrister Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik yesterday told The Daily Star that his client would land in Dhaka on Saturday from abroad and surrender before the HC on Sunday morning as per the HC permission.
He said a total of seven cases were filed against Obaidul Karim including the four corruption cases.
The High Court, earlier, upon separate petitions stayed proceedings of the remaining three cases, he said.
Obaidul Karim rose to the zenith of his phenomenal gain in the business world during the two tenures of Khaleda Zia--the first being 1991-1996 and then the second 2001-2006.
He was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment in two cases.
CASE AGAINST CHOWDHURY ALAM
Chowdhury Alam was shown arrested in five criminal cases including three extortion cases during the period of immediate past caretaker government.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) court sent him to jail on February 22, 2007, when he surrendered before the court.
He was also sentenced to imprisonment in two other cases. Barrister Ahsanul Karim appeared for Alam.