The Supreme Court has reinstated a High Court verdict to Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju in a case launched against him on charges of amassing wealth illegally.
Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha led a four-member bench of the Appellate Division on Sunday made the order in the lawsuit filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Barrister Rokan Uddin Mahmud and Ahsanul Karim stood for Manju while Attorney General Mahbube Alam and Khurshid Alam Khan were for the prosecution and the ACC respectively.
On October 7, 2007, the ACC authorities registered the case against the minister with Dhanmondi police station on charge of amassing around Tk1.72 crore illegally.
During the military-backed caretaker government, Special Court 10 Judge AKM Arifur Rahman sentenced 13 years in jail to Manju and fined him Tk10 lakh. In default, he would have to suffer one year more in jail.
On August 10, 2010, a High Court bench led by Justice Sayed Md Dastagir acquitted him of the charges and the ACC made an appeal against the verdict, in which later decision came.