Graft charges framed against ex-minister Mannan, wife

A Dhaka court yesterday formed charges against former state minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan and his wife Syeda Hasina Sultana in two graft cases.

The couple, now on bail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Judge Mohammed Ali Hossain of the Special Judge's Court-3 of Dhaka read out the charges against them, court sources said.

The judge then set October 28 for starting the trial of the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two separate cases against Mannan and Syeda Hasina with Ramna Police Station on August 21 and October 21, 2014, following two graft investigations.

On August 24 that year, a Dhaka court granted bail to Mannan considering his illness and status as a former state minister in the Awami League government. His wife Syeda Hasina got bail from another Dhaka court on October 24 the same year.

In May 2015, the ACC pressed charges against the couple in the graft cases.

According to the charge sheets, Mannan illegally amassed Tk 74.94 lakh and concealed information about his properties worth Tk 4.59 lakh, while his wife Syeda Hasina illegally amassed Tk 3.45 crore and concealed information about properties worth Tk 1.86 crore.