SC stays case against BNP MP Hafiz Ibrahim, wife

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed for four weeks the proceedings of a money laundering case against former BNP lawmaker Hafiz Ibrahim and his wife Mafruza Sultana.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Gulshan Police Station on August 16, 2011 against Hafiz and his wife for laundering US $1.75 lakh to Singapore.

According to the case statement, the money was paid allegedly by Siemens Bangladesh Ltd to the duo's account to help the company win a deal of supplying core telecommunications equipment to Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL).

The amount was sent to an account at a branch of Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore between 2005 and 2006.

Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, chamber judge of the SC, yesterday passed the stay order after hearing an appeal filed by Mafruza Sultana challenging a High Court verdict that in February cleared the way for the lower court to run the trial proceedings of the case.

The chamber judge also fixed November 6 for hearing the appeal.