The High Court (HC) yesterday granted ad interim bail for three months to former ministers Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Mirza Abbas and former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar in separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of amassing illegal wealth and concealing information from ACC.
After hearing separate writ petitions filed by Selim, Abbas and Babar, a vacation bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mamnoon Rahman stayed for the same period the proceedings against the petitioners.
The court also issued separate rulings upon the ACC and government to explain within four weeks why the initiation and continuation of the proceedings against them should not be declared illegal.
Meanwhile yesterday, the Supreme Court (SC) chamber judge rejected three ACC prayers for staying the HC orders granting bails to former lawmakers Mosaddak Ali Falu, Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and Salahuddin Ahmed in separate criminal cases.
Chamber judge Justice Md Joynul Abedin, however, granted ACC prayers for staying the HC orders that earlier stayed the proceedings against them. He also asked the ACC to file regular appeals against the HC's bail orders and fixed October 13 for hearing the appeals before the full bench of the apex court.
The lawyers for the petitioners told the newsmen that following the SC order, the HC bails to Falu, Pintu and Salahuddin would now remain valid, but trial proceedings against them would continue.
CASE AGAINST SELIM
The ACC on April 23 this year filed a case with Ramna Police Station against former health minister and AL leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim for concealing wealth information and amassing wealth illegally.
According to the case statement, Selim concealed information about his wealth worth over Tk 22.39 lakh in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC and amassed wealth worth over Tk 3.38 crore beyond his known sources of income.
Selim submitted his wealth statement on July 22, 2007, declaring Tk 5,13,98,000 worth of wealth under his name.
CASE AGAINST ABBAS
The ACC on August 16 this year filed a case against now detained former minister for housing and public works Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in connection with amassing huge wealth through illegal means.
In the case statement filed with Ramna Police Station, ACC Assistant Director Shafiul Alam said they found assets worth Tk 33,48,581, that were not mentioned in the wealth statements of Abbas and his wife submitted earlier to the ACC.
On February 25, the joint forces arrested Abbas from the ACC premises at Segunbagicha in the city.
CASE AGAINST BABR
The anti-graft body on January 13 this year filed a case against detained former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar for hiding information about his wealth worth around Tk 7.6 crore, which is inconsistent with his known source of income.
The case said Babar submitted a wealth statement showing that he along with his wife, son and daughter has moveable and immovable property worth about Tk 6.77 crore.
Babar was arrested during a raid on his Gulshan residence on May 28 last year. The army-led joint forces also recovered four firearms -- a shotgun, a rifle, a pistol and a Brazil-made revolver -- two magazines, and 297 rounds of ammunition.
He has already been handed down 17 years' rigorous imprisonment for possessing the arms and ammo illegally.
Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mirza Abbas and Lutfuzzaman Babar recently filed separate writ petitions with the HC challenging the legality of the initiation and continuation of the case proceedings against them.
Barrister Shafique Ahmed appeared for Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim while barrister Ahsanul Karim argued for Mirza Abbas and Lutfozzaman Babar.