Hasina challenges govt in HC over Noor Ali case trial 05-08-2007

Dhaka, August 5 (bdnews24.com) – Sheikh Hasina Sunday challenged the government in the High Court over its move to get trial of the Tk 5 crore bribe case against her under the emergency powers rules. Her lawyers filed the writ petition after securing permission from the bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury. Businessman Noor Ali filed the case alleging he was forced to pay the amount to Hasina for permission to contest in a parliamentary election in 2001. The counsels for the detained prime minister filed another writ petition challenging the validity of the Anti-corruption Commission's notice on her to submit a wealth statement. Hasina's lawyer barrister Rafique-ul Huq told bdnews24.com, "We have filed two writ petitions. Earlier in the morning I took permission for filing the appeals. The hearing will be held Monday." The appeals were filed at 2.20pm. Businessman Noor Ali filed the Tk 5 crore extortion case against Hasina, her cousin Sheikh Helal and his wife Rupa Chowdhury on June 13. The government included the case in the emergency powers rules on July 16—the day Hasina was arrested. The government showed her arrested in the case on July 29 apparently to scuttle the High Court bail to her. The ACC served notice on Hasina on July 17, asking her to submit a wealth statement. Hasina received the notice at the special jail on July 19 and sent a legal notice to the ACC on July 31 to know if a deputy director of the commission could serve notice on a former prime minister. Sunday was the deadline for a reply to her legal notice. As the ACC did not respond to it in time, Hasina's lawyer filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging its legality.