The High Court yesterday upheld its earlier verdict acquitting former BNP lawmaker Monjurul Ahsan Munshi of charges related to acquiring wealth illegally and concealing information of his property.

He had been sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment.

The bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty came up with the verdict after rehearing the appeal filed by Monjurul challenging the lower court judgment that had sentenced him in 2007.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed 27 cases during the military-backed caretaker government in 2007 and 2008 against 35 people, including Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and former BNP minister Nazmul Huda, in connection with amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about them.

Courts convicted and sentenced them on different jail terms in 2007 and 2008.

The convicted people appealed and were acquitted by the HC in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The ACC then appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdicts in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The SC scrapped the HC verdicts and ordered the HC to expeditiously rehear the appeals of the accused in 2014 and 2015.

The HC yesterday disposed of first of the 27 appeals.

In yesterday's verdict, the HC observed that there might be elements of offence of money laundering in the case against Monjurul Ahsan Munshi, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

He also said the ACC would move an appeal before the Appellate Division against yesterday's HC verdict.

On October 9, 2007, a special court in Dhaka sentenced Monjurul to 13 years in jail. The ACC accused Monjurul, his wife Mazeda Ahsan Munshi and their sons Rizviul Ahsan Munshi and Rizwanul Ahsan Munshi of earning wealth and properties worth Tk 4.92 crore illegally that was kept concealed in their wealth statements.

The special court acquitted Mazeda, Rizviul and Rizwanul of all the charges against them as those were not proved.

Following an appeal by Monjurul, the HC on June 6, 2011, acquitted him of the corruption charges.

The ACC then moved an appeal before the Appellate Division against the HC verdict.

After hearing the ACC's appeal, the apex court on February 2, 2015, scrapped the HC verdict of acquittal and directed the HC to rehear the appeal of Monjurul.