SC clears way for Tarique's trial
The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for continuing a money-laundering case in a lower court against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on October 26, 2009, filed the case with Cantonment Police Station on charges of laundering Tk 20.41 crore to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
On May 26 this year, a Dhaka court gave the ACC the green light to ask Interpol for help in arresting Tarique, who is now in London for treatment, in connection with the case.
Ten prosecution witnesses had earlier given their statements before the court, and so did an FBI official, about the laundering of the money.
The Appellate Division of the SC yesterday upheld a High Court order that on June 9 rejected a criminal revision petition filed by Mamun in April this year, challenging the legality of the case proceedings.
ACC's counsel Khurshid Alam Khan said the SC order meant there was no legal bar to proceeding with the case at the trial court. The next hearing of the case would be held at a Dhaka court on June 30, he added.
Khandker Mahbub Hossain appeared for Mamun while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the government.
Comments