The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed a case against former Law Adviser of President Iajuddin Ahmed-led caretaker government Justice Fazlul Haque on charge of amassing illegal wealth and hiding information about his wealth to the Government.

ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Ibrahim filed first information report (FIR) with Ramna police station against Justice Fazlul Haque on charge of acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income and concealment of information. According to case details, the former judge earned Tk 97.37 lakh by unfair means.

It has been alleged in the FIR that the assets Justice Fazlul did not mention in his wealth statement was earned by him illegally when he was an Adviser of the previous caretaker government.

The FIR states that when he took over as an Adviser, his net asset was worth about Tk 67.83 lakh. But, after becoming an Adviser, his net assets amounted to about Tk 1.14 crore and 1.24 crore respectively in 2006-07 and 2007-08 tax years.

According to the FIR, the difference has been created through "illegal earnings" when he was the Adviser of the caretaker government.

It has been accused that he piled up huge ill-gotten money beyond known sources of income between October 2006 and January 2007. With a big chunk of the illegally earned money, he made bank deposits through his son Dr Afzal Hossain Raj, daughter's husband Tariqur Rahman Prince, son's friend Abdul Malek, Sujaul Hasan Sujon and Ataul Haq. Also bought with the ill-gotten money were cars and flats besides investment in the Justice Fazlul Haque Foundation. The former Supreme Court judge, who stood in as head of the caretaker government for a short while after President Iajuddin had stood down, transacted about Tk 13 crore in different banks in the names of the above-mentioned persons during his days in state power.

ACC did not find any source of the money.

In his wealth statement submitted to the ACC, Justice Haque said he owned property worth Tk 1.25 crore. Furthermore, it has been learnt that the former Adviser siphoned off more money through his daughter and son-in-law, who reside in London.

The case was filed under Sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004, Section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1947 and Section 15 of the Emergency Power Rules 2007.

Justice Fazlul is one of the 35 corruption suspects whose names appeared on the fourth and final list published by the ACC on October 4, 2007 under the ongoing purge against corruption in high places.

On November 18, 2007, he was issued notice directing him to submit his wealth statement. Justice Fazlul complied with the ACC directive on November 26, 2007.

Meanwhile, The Anti-Corruption Commission is going to issue notices soon to former Law Adviser Justice Fazlul Haque's son Dr Afzal Hossain Raj, son-in-law Tariqur Rahman Prince, son's friend Sujaul Hasan Sujon and Abdul Malek, an official of the Justice Fazlul Haque Foundation.

They were named in a graft case filed yesterday by the anti-graft watchdog against Justice Fazlul Haque as abettors to him in spinning money out of state power when he was adviser of the previous short-lived caretaker government. In the first-information report it has been alleged that Justice Fazlul had transacted about Tk 13 crore in the names of the above-mentioned individuals.

"Yes, the Commission yesterday approved the issuance of notices to Justice Fazlul Haque's son Dr Afjal Hossain Raj, son-in-law Tariqur Rahman Prince, son's friend Sujaul Hasan Sujon and Abdul Malek, an official of the Justice Fazlul Haque Foundation, directing them to submit their wealth statements," ACC Director General (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal said in the yesterday afternoon.

He said the Commission also approved the issuance of notice to Khandaker Azadur Rahman, former additional chief engineer of Roads and Highways department, seeking his wealth statement under the ongoing drive against corruption.