The Supreme Court yesterday cancelled a High Court verdict that had acquitted Joynal Abedin Hazari, a former Awami League lawmaker from Feni, of a corruption case.

A Special Judge's Court of Dhaka on November 27, 2008 sentenced Hazari to 10 years' imprisonment and fined him Tk one crore for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 1.13 crore.

On December 5, 2011, the HC acquitted him of the charge following an appeal, filed by the accused, challenging the lower court verdict.

The Appellate Division of the SC yesterday also asked the HC to rehear and dispose of the appeal.

Headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, the four-member bench of the apex court passed the order in response to an appeal, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, challenging the HC verdict.

The other three judges were Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.

The apex court has so far cancelled acquittal of 15 corruption accused, including Hazari, and directed the HC to rehear their appeals, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

The accused include Relief and Disaster Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former BNP Minister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda, BNP leaders Iqbal Hasan Mahmood Tuku, Amanullah Aman, and Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin and his son Mir Helal Uddin, and independent lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim, he said, adding that their appeals are now in the rehearing list of the HC. 

The ACC counsel said the SC came up with the orders after accepting his arguments that the HC verdicts were not correct since they did not properly consider the relevant evidence and the corruption allegations against the convicts.

He said the HC would now rehear their appeals and examine whether the lower court verdicts that had convicted and sentenced them were correct or not.

Joynal Hazari will remain on bail until the HC holds further hearing on the appeal, the ACC lawyer added.