HC stays ACC notice on Hasina: Govt to appeal

FE Team | Published: August 08, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

The High Court (HC) Tuesday stayed the operation of the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC's) notice asking former prime minister and Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina to submit her wealth statement, report UNB/bdnews24.com.
Staying the notice, the court issued rule upon the ACC to explain within four weeks why its notice should not be declared to have been served without lawful authority.
However, the government will appeal against the HC order on the ACC notice.
After hearing both sides, a bench comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the orders following a writ petition filed by the detained AL chief challenging the legality of the ACC notice.
Upon another writ petition of Hasina, the same bench stayed the court proceedings in an extortion case filed by business tycoon and long-time pro-Awami League businessman Noor Ali and granted her bail in the case.
But the latest bail order does ensure freedom for Hasina from jail as the Appellate Division had stayed an earlier HC order for bail in the first extortion case, filed by Azam Jahangir Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading.
In the writ against the ACC notice, the court issued a rule on six people including the ACC chairman and the secretary to explain in four weeks why the notice would not be declared illegal.
Hasina's counsel Rafique-ul Huq said that the ACC had sent the notice to Sheikh Hasina wanting her wealth statement without investigation and enquiry as per law.
"The ACC chairman is a good and efficient person. But he is making mistakes as he is not getting proper guidance," he said.
He also said, "The notice was given on July 17, a day after Sheikh Hasina was arrested. Hasina sought the assistance of Bangladesh Bank (BB) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in this regard. Bangladesh Bank and the ACC not only refrained from cooperating, but also directed that the bank accounts of Sheikh Hasina and her husband be frozen."
Huq said, "If one is asked to swim after tying one's hands and legs how will the person swim? Sheikh Hasina is detained, so it is not possible for her to give a wealth statement if she does not get documents."
In reply on behalf of the government, Additional Attorney General Salahuddin Ahmed said Hasina had 18 bank accounts. If she wrote letters to the banks instead of Bangladesh Bank, those banks would have given her the account statements."
Meanwhile, the High Court Tuesday deferred by a day the hearing in two separate writ petitions to quash two corruption cases against Sheikh Hasina.
A two-member panel of Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Mohammad Ataur Rahman Khan made the order after Hasina's counsel Shafique Ahmed appealed for the deferment.
The cases involve purchase of Mig-29 warplanes and Frigate warships during Hasina's term in 1996-2001.