Sheikh Helal, wife acquitted of graft charges

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The High Court (HC) Monday acquitted Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Helal Uddin and his wife Rupa Chowdhury of the conviction and sentence in a graft case, reports UNB.
On February 24, 2008, a special court during the past army-backed caretaker government, jailed Sheikh Helal for 13 years and his wife Rupa Chowdhury for three years in a graft case in absentia.
The trial court found Mr Helal guilty of amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) and Rupa of abetting her husband in protecting the wealth he illegally acquired.
Delivering the judgment, a HC division bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Gobinda Chandra Thakur allowed the appeal against the trial court verdict filed by the ruling party lawmaker.
A week ago, the same HC division bench scrapped the trial court conviction on the extortion case filed during the last caretaker government allowing the appeal filed by Sheikh Helal against the trial court verdict.
On February 12, 2008, a special court trying in absentia sentenced Mr Helal to seven years' rigorous imprisonment for extorting Tk 10.2 million from a construction firm owner and fined him Tk 1.0 million.
Emerging from the court, Gazi Mushtaq Ahmed told the news agency that with the day's judgment, Mr Helal was cleared of both the charges of graft and extortion and now no case is pending against him.