DHAKA: The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed for six weeks a High Court verdict exonerating former Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) lawmaker Mufti Shahidul Islam from his conviction for corruption.

At the same time, the court asked the government to file a leave-to-appeal petition within the intervening period to overturn the High Court verdict.

Chamber Judge Justice ABM Khairul Haque passed the orders following a petition filed by government seeking stay on the HC judgment.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case with Mohammadpur thana against Mufti Shahid on August 5, 2007 for amassing ill-gotten wealth, as a massive anti-graft purge was underway then under state of emergency following the 1/11 changeover.

A special court formed during the emergency times in its verdict on March 19, 2008 sentenced him to 10 years in jail.  

An HC bench comprising Justice Sayed Mohammad Dastagir Hossain and Justice AKM Jahirul Hauqe scrapped the jail sentence on August 26 this year.

Deputy Attorney-General AJ Nazrul Islam Talukder moved for the state side.

BDST: 1310 HRS, SEPT 14, 2010