Saifur, Nizami, Mujaheed get bail
Thursday, 13 November 2008
The High Court (HC) Wednesday granted bail for two months to three influential ministers of the immediate-past coalition government now in jail - Saifur Rahman of BNP and Matiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed of Jamaat-e-Islami - in Barapukuria Coalmine graft case, reports UNB.
Among the three charge-sheeted accused, BNP standing-committee member Saifur was granted bail on health grounds. The two top Jamaat leaders - Nizami and Mujaheed - were given bail as the graft case against them appeared to have been filed "without jurisdiction" and "with malafide intention", court sources said.
Passing the interim orders, a division bench comprising Justice M Mozammel Hossain and Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed also stayed for two months the proceedings of the case filed against them as well as ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Besides, the HC bench, responding to their petitions, issued separate rules upon the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to explain in four weeks why the case against them "should not be quashed".
On November 10, the former ministers were sent to jail by order of a trial court.
Following November 5 High Court orders, they surrendered to the special court set up in the high-security parliament-building complex and sought bail. But Judge AK Roy had ordered them into jail rejecting their bail prayers.
The ACC filed the case on February 26 this year accusing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and nine of her former cabinet colleagues of causing a loss of Tk 1.59 billion to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operating Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company through "abuse of power".
The principal accused, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, secured bail from the High Court in this and three other graft cases and recently came out of jail in a turnaround in the political scenario ahead of the upcoming polls. The High Court also stayed further proceedings against her in this case.
On October 5, the ACC submitted charge sheet to Dhaka CMM Court against Khaleda, her former cabinet colleagues and five bureaucrats under the ongoing purge.
Among the three charge-sheeted accused, BNP standing-committee member Saifur was granted bail on health grounds. The two top Jamaat leaders - Nizami and Mujaheed - were given bail as the graft case against them appeared to have been filed "without jurisdiction" and "with malafide intention", court sources said.
Passing the interim orders, a division bench comprising Justice M Mozammel Hossain and Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed also stayed for two months the proceedings of the case filed against them as well as ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Besides, the HC bench, responding to their petitions, issued separate rules upon the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to explain in four weeks why the case against them "should not be quashed".
On November 10, the former ministers were sent to jail by order of a trial court.
Following November 5 High Court orders, they surrendered to the special court set up in the high-security parliament-building complex and sought bail. But Judge AK Roy had ordered them into jail rejecting their bail prayers.
The ACC filed the case on February 26 this year accusing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and nine of her former cabinet colleagues of causing a loss of Tk 1.59 billion to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operating Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company through "abuse of power".
The principal accused, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, secured bail from the High Court in this and three other graft cases and recently came out of jail in a turnaround in the political scenario ahead of the upcoming polls. The High Court also stayed further proceedings against her in this case.
On October 5, the ACC submitted charge sheet to Dhaka CMM Court against Khaleda, her former cabinet colleagues and five bureaucrats under the ongoing purge.