SC overturns HC acquittal

The Supreme Court yesterday scrapped a High Court verdict that acquitted former BNP minister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda in a bribery case.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on March 21, 2007 centring Tk 2.40 crore taken from a businessman in favour of the couple's weekly newspaper Khoborer Ontorale.

The SC also asked the HC to expeditiously hold further hearing and dispose of the appeals filed by the convicts challenging a lower court verdict jailing Nazmul for seven years and his wife three. The SC passed the order after hearing two appeals filed by ACC and the government against the HC verdict.

The grounds behind the SC order will be known once the full text was released.

Talking to The Daily Star, ACC's counsel Khurshid Alam Khan reasoned that the HC in its verdict did not review statements witnesses gave before the lower court.

Bail for Nazmul and Sigma, both now  in Singapore, will remain effective till disposal of their appeals, he added.