Dhaka – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday granted Appellate Division’s former Justice Joynul Abedin right to appeal, challenging the decision of the High Court to scrap his petition to reject graft charge against him.A three-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on Monday stayed the proceedings of the case filed against the former justice by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for amassing assets illegally and concealing information about his wealth.
The Appellate Division also upheld the anticipatory bail to the former justice on July 24. Earlier, on July 10, High Court Division granted anticipatory bail to the retired judge. Before that, he filed a petition seeking the bail fearing that he might be arrested when he would go to submit his bank statement. The apex court also issued Rule to explain as to why regular bail will not be granted to the former Justice of the Appellate Division.
It may be remembered that Justice Joynul Abedin headed the one-man judicial inquiry into the grenade attack on an Awami League rally at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. His probe report found “foreign enemy link” with the attack.
Barrister Mainul Hosein moved the bail petition on behalf of the former Justice while Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared before the court on behalf of the watchdog body ACC. – Special Correspondent
