Former judge Motahar Hossain, who recently acquitted BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s Tarique Rahman in a money-laundering case, has fled abroad as graft allegations against him have kept on evolving. “Motahar Hossain left the country for Malaysia on January 8,” Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director and inquiry officer Harunur Rashid told reporters on Thursday. He said the ACC after scrutinising his travel documents has got sure that Motahar left Bangladesh for Malaysia on January 8. On November 17 last, Motahar Hossain, former special judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge Court, acquitted Tarique Rahman in the money-laundering case involving Tk 20.41 crore. He went on retirement on December 30, 2013. The ACC received a graft allegation against the former judge 2-3 weeks ago. After examining the allegation, the Commission recently decided to launch an inquiry into the alleged graft of the judge. On January 20 this year, the graft watchdog appointed an inquiry officer to conduct the inquiry into the alleged corruption by Motahar and sent letters to the special branch of the Additional IGP and immigration authorities so that the former judge cannot leave the country. According to the allegation received by the Commission, the former special judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge Court accumulated huge movable and immovable wealth illegally and laundered money abroad when he was a judge. It was alleged that Motahar brought a house in London and two apartments at city’s Dhanmondhi recently and about 50 bighas of land at his village home in Natore. But, the preliminary inquiry of the ACC found inconsistency between his income and wealth he acquired. – UNB
