Bijoy TV case stayed
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld its chamber judge's order staying the proceedings against Chittagong City Corporation Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and others in the Bijoy TV graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The three-member full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Fazlul Karim passed the verdict with disposing of the government's leave to appeal against a High Court (HC) order that had also stayed the proceedings of the case.
Upon a petition, the HC on January 17 last year stayed for three months the proceedings of the case and also issued a rule upon the deputy commissioner of Chittagong to explain why the proceedings of the case should not be quashed.
On February 10 last year, following a stay petition filed by the government, the Appellate Division stayed the High Court order for a week and asked the government to file a regular leave to appeal with the court by this time.
As per the Appellate Division order, the government has filed a regular leave to appeal with the Supreme Court against the High Court order.
Chittagong Divisional Special Judge SM Solaiman on June 26 last year started deposition of witnesses in the case.
The CCC mayor then filed an application with the SC to stay the trial proceedings of the case. Following the application, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division on June 30 last year stayed the proceedings.
The ACC filed the case with Kotwali Police Station in Chittagong on May 27, 2007 against the CCC mayor and three others on charges of launching Bijoy TV without prior permission of the government.
The charge sheet was submitted on November 22, 2007 in which it was alleged that the trio drew Tk 1,78,02000 from the city corporation fund in four phases and used up Tk 1,69,67,960 in the name of launching the private channel.
Advocate AKM Foyez and advocate Hari Sadhan Deb Brahman appeared for Mohiuddin Chowdhury, while Deputy Attorney General Promila Biswash stood for the government.
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