The Anti-Corruption Commission has finally decided to challenge the bail of former Awami League state minister Abdul Mannan Khan in a corruption case, granted on August 24 by a lower court that has no jurisdiction to entertain such petitions.
Following the order, ACC Chairman M Badiuzzaman had said the commission would file an appeal seeking the cancellation of the bail order.
“I received an instruction of the commission on September 23 to appeal against the bail. We will seek cancellation of the bail which was granted beyond the court’s jurisdiction,” ACC counsel Kabir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The lawyer said he had applied for a certified copy of the ACC letter. “As soon as we get the copy, we will appeal against the bail,” he said adding that it would take a week for preparation. Therefore, the commission cannot challenge the bail before Eid.
On August 24, Judge Md Emdadul Haque of the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court allowed Mannan bail on a Tk50,000 bond until October 13 in the case filed for accumulating illegal wealth worth Tk75.04 lakh.
According to the law, the metropolitan magistrate’s court is not competent to deal with the bail petitions of an accused in corruption cases. Only the Special Judge’s Court is entitled to hear such matter and give an order.
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.
Upon his surrender at the court, Mannan claimed that the political rival group had implicated him in the case to ruin his political image and harass him. “Every accused has the right to enjoy bail. I have surrendered before the court since I respect the law. I am ill and have been suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes,” he told the court.
Earlier, the same court granted bail to 22 high-ups of Destiny 2000 Limited beyond its jurisdiction. Later their bails were cancelled after the ACC had appealed with a Senior Special Judge’s Court.
