A Dhaka court yesterday rejected bail prayer of detained former health minister and Awami League (AL) leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim in connection with an extortion case.
Meanwhile, proceedings of cases filed against detained former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, former law minister barrister Moudud Ahmed and former BNP lawmaker of Demra Salahuddin Ahmed were adjourned.
CASE AGAI.ST SELIM
Metropolitan Magistrate ABM Abdul Fattah rejected the bail petition of Selim in a case filed against him and AL chief Sheikh Hasina in connection with extorting Tk 2.99 crore.
In the order, the court said the accused had earlier given confessional statements admitting his involvement with the extortion. So, his bail petition is rejected, the court added.
On June 13, Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Private Ltd, filed the case
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against Selim and Hasina with Gulshan Police Station in connection with extorting the money.
In his complaint, Azam said Russian power-generation company Techno Prom Export (TPE) obtained work order for the first phase of erecting and commissioning the Shiddhirganj Power Plant in Narayanganj in 2000.
He said his company Eastcoast Trading Private Ltd was appointed as the local agent of the Russian company when Sheikh Hasina was the prime minister.
In July 2000, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim threatened to stop the work.
Sheikh Selim received over Tk 2.99 crore with eight cheques between October 24, 2000 and March 14, 2001. CASE AGAINST BABAR
Another Dhaka court could not frame charges against Babar in an arms case yesterday, as the jail authorities could not produce him before it due to his illness.
The court failed to frame charges against him twice before for the same reason.
Judge Sayed Jahed Mansur of the Special Tribunal-9 fixed July 18 for charge framing following a time petition by the prosecutionlawyers.
The case was filed against Babar with Gulshan Police Station on June 3 in connection with possessing illegal firearms and ammunition at his home. CASE AGAINST SALAHUDDIN The same court fixed July 18 for hearing of the case filed against Salahuddin Ahmed in connection with possessing foreign currencies at his home.The case was filed against him with Shyampur Police Station on February 8.
CASE AGAINST MOUDUD
Judge AKM Enamul Haq of the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka
adjourned the proceedings of the case filed against Moudud in connection with keeping contraband liquors at his home.
The adjournment came after defence lawyers submitted a time petition saying the High Court had earlier stayed the proceedings of the case for three months but they did not get any certified copy of the High Court order.
CASE AGAINST HARRIS
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM's) Court, Dhaka yesterday scrutinised the case docket and other relevant documents in a money laundering case filed against Harris Choudhury, political secretary to former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
On July 1, Sub-inspector (SI) Babul Hossain of Gulshan Police Station, who is also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the CMM's Court, showing 18 people as prosecution witnesses.
The IO prayed forissuance of arrest warrant against Harris and order to attach his properties. The charge sheet will be placed before the court for hearing onits acceptance.
On February 4, the joint forces seized two briefcases at Harris' Gulshan home.
The briefcases were opened on April 2 in the presence of Metropolitan Magistrate Mir Ali Reza and foreign currencies were found in it, sources said.
According to the statement, Harris hoarded foreign currencies worth around Tk 5.64 lakh with a plan to smuggle those abroad.
On April 9, Gulshan police filed the case against Harris under the Money Laundering Act.
On May 22, a special court sentenced Harris to three years' imprisonment for not submitting his wealth statements to the Anti-corruption Commission.