The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court Wednesday declared null and void the tax-evasion case against detained former state minister for power Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku, dealing a blow to government revenue authority's drive to book tax-dodgers.

A 2-judge bench headed by Justice M A Rashid pronounced the judgment, visibly throwing the National Board of Revenue (NBR) counsel into frustration.

The grounds for making the HC rule absolute could not be known immediately.

The NBR filed the case accusing Tuku of evading over Tk 3.80 crore in income tax during 1999-2007 period. On Aug 29, the High Court, upon a petition, had stayed midway the trial proceedings of the income-tax-evasion case against Tuku and issued a rule upon the NBR to explain why the case 'should not be quashed'.

According to the case statement, Tuku, who repeatedly submitted "false" information to the income-tax department about his real income and expenditure, didn't disclose his income-tax return. He also "used his ministerial position to conceal information about his real income", the complainant complained.

Besides, allegations have it that Tuku didn't submit statements about his non-agricultural property, motor vehicles, bank statements, credit cards, and savings investments, fixed deposit and interest on deposit.

Meanwhile, Tuku, arrested in February, is now serving in jail following a fast-track court judgment delivered on November 15 in a graft case.

The court, trying high-profile corruption suspects, ordered confiscating his property worth about Tk 3 crore to the state coffers while sentencing him to nine years imprisonment in the graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission under the ongoing purge.

Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, assisted by Barrister Ajmalul Hossain, QC, appeared for the convicted ex-minister of the immediate-past BNP-led coalition government.