The Anti-Corruption Commission will soon challenge the legality of a lower court bail granted to former Awami League state minister Abdul Mannan Khan in a corruption case.
The ACC would file an appeal seeking cancellation of the bail, commission Chairman M Bodiuzzaman told reporters at the ACC headquarters yesterday.
On August 24, a Dhaka court, allegedly beyond its jurisdiction, granted bail to Mannan until October 13 in the case filed for accumulating illegal wealth worth Tk75.04 lakh.
While contacted, ACC counsel Kabir Hossain said he was yet to receive any instruction from the commission.
“Since the court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain the bail petition, I wrote to the authorities seeking instructions on whether to appeal or not. But they are yet to respond,” he said.
The case was lodged on August 21 against Mannan, a former lawmaker from Dohar, since he had concealed information of wealth worth around Tk4.60 lakh and accumulated illegal wealth worth Tk75.04 lakh.
Enamul dodges ACC questioning
Rajshahi 4 lawmaker Enamul Haque, who is yet to appear before the ACC ignoring its summon notice, would have to face the anti-graft body to give his statement, Bodiuzzaman said.
“We earlier summoned him to give his statements, but he has pleaded for 30 more days. But it will not be 30 days. We will allow him as per the law,” the ACC chief said adding that the designated investigating officer was yet to prepare the inquiry report on Enamul’s illegal wealth.
He also said: “No one is not above the law. He must come.”
The ACC issued the notice on August 20. The commission received Enamul’s letter seeking time on Monday, an ACC official said.
According to the ACC Act 2004, it can summon witnesses, ensure their appearance and interrogate them under oath. The law also terms it a punishable offence if any person violates any order. The punishment in such case is a term of imprisonment of not more than three years or a fine or both.
The commission on January 22 initiated an inquiry against six ruling party leaders and a former Jatiya Party lawmaker on charges of amassing illegal wealth. All of them except for Enamul, owner of Ena Properties, faced the ACC inquiry team. The lawmaker earlier violated the provisions of the ACC Act by not submitting his wealth statements within the stipulated time. But he is yet to face any case as yet.
However, the commission on January 30 filed a case against Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, the mother-in-law of BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, for not submitting her wealth statement before the deadline.