SC clears way for graft cases against 3 BNP leaders

The Supreme Court today cleared the way of lower courts concerned to run trial proceedings of corruption cases against three BNP leaders including Moudud Ahmed.

The other leaders are: BNP Standing Committee Member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain and former BNP lawmaker MA Hashem.

A four-member of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain upheld the High Court orders that had given the go-ahead to continue the trial proceedings of two corruption cases against Moudud and Mosharraf.

However, it rejected another HC order cancelling the proceedings of a graft case against Hashem.

The apex court today came up with the orders while hearing separate appeals submitted by Moudud, Mosharraf and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the HC orders.

ACC counsel Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for the lower courts to resume the trial proceedings against the three leaders following the SC judgement.

On September 16, 2007, Moudud was sued by the ACC with Gulshan Police Station on charge of amassing wealth worth Tk 7.38 crore and concealing information about his wealth of over Tk 4.40 crore from the anti-graft body.

The commission on January 10, 2008 sued Mosharraf for amassing Tk 12.51 crore and concealing information about Tk 3.11 crore.

Earlier the HC on October 7 and 16, 2012 rejected separate petitions filed by Moudud and Mosharraf that sought cancellation of trial proceedings against their corruption cases.

Later, both the leaders submitted separate appeals with the SC against the HC orders.

On December 5, 2007, the ACC filed the case against Hashem with Ramna Police Station on charge of accumulating property illegally worth Tk19.81 crore.

The HC on January 19, 2012 scrapped the trial proceedings of Hashem's graft case.

Challenging the HC order, the ACC later filed an appeal with the SC.