The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for continuation of the trial proceedings of a money-laundering case filed against BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun in the trial court.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain, passed the order rejecting a petition filed by Mamun seeking a stay on the trial proceedings, reports UNB.
In its order, the court said the Appellate Division would not interfere in the case as it’s in trial process.
Earlier, the High Court and a lower court turned down Mamun’s petitions filed seeking a stay on the trial proceedings.
Challenging the legality of the court to conduct the trial without permission of the government, Mamun filed a petition with a Dhaka court seeking a stay on the trial proceedings. However, Judge of Special Court-3 rejected the petition.
Later, a one-member HC bench also turned down the petition following a dissenting order by another HC bench when Mamun turned up to the higher court.
He moved to the Supreme Court against the High Court order.
On October 26, 2009, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against Tarique and his business partner Mamun with Cantonment police station for ‘siphoning off over Tk 204m’ to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
The amount was allegedly taken by Mamun as bribe from Khadiza Islam, director of Nirman Construction, to help her get the contract for installing an 80MW power plant at Tongi.
Later, Mamun allegedly deposited the money in the Capital Street branch of Singapore’s City Bank.
The ACC, on July 6, 2010, submitted the charge sheet in the case.
On August 8 last year, the court indicted Tarique and Mamun under the Money Laundering Act 2002 and issued a warrant for the arrest of Tarique.
On Thursday, the same lower court recorded the deposition of the 10th prosecution witness in the money-laundering case.