DHAKA: The High Court has again fixed the date of delivering verdict on the appeals in the 26-year old corruption case filed against former President and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad.

The HC bench of Justice Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty fixed May 9 the fresh date of verdict after concluding hearing on three appeals in the case on Thursday (April 11).

Advocate Sheikh Sirajul Islam moved for Ershad in the court, while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan moved on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).   

Earlier, the High Court was scheduled to deliver the verdict on an appeal in the case on March 23.

On March 09, the lone bench of Justice Ruhul Quddus fixed the date of March 23 after concluding hearing on the appeal.

But on the scheduled date, the HC ordered its officials to send all the records of the corruption case to Chief Justice SK Sinha instead of delivering the verdict.

The HC bench had issued the order, as the ACC had also filed two appeals for increasing Ershad’s punishment.

Later on March 27, Chief Justice SK Sinha assigned the bench of Justice Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty for the appeal hearing on the graft case.

Earlier a trial court awarded three years’ imprisonment to Ershad in the corruption case. Ershad filed the appeal in the higher court challenging the lower court’s judgment.   

According to the case statement, on January 8 in 1991, the-then Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC), which became obsolete after formation of the ACC in 2004, filed the case against Ershad with the Cantonment police station in the city.

In the case, it was said that Ershad is accused of misappropriating gifts worth of Tk. 1.91 crore belonged to the state funds during his regime from December 11 in 1983 to December 6 in 1990.

On February 3 in 1992, Ershad was convicted and sentenced for 3-year imprisonment in the case by a special Judge court in Dhaka. Later, Ershad filed the appeal with the HC challenging the verdict. In response, HC stayed the verdict.

On June 26 in 2012, the ACC became a party in the case following directive of a bench of the High Court.

BDST: 1443 HRS, APR 12, 2017
EHJ