The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The chamber judge of the Supreme Court yesterday straightway said no to Anti-Corruption Commission pleas for vacating High Court orders having granted bail to four political bigwigs of Awami League and BNP, the two former ruling parties who got into trouble after the recent changeover.

They are AL general secretary MA Jalil and presidium member and ex-minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, and ex-MPs Mosaddek Ali Falu of BNP and AHM Mustafa Kamal alias Lotus Kamal of Awami League, who are all facing corruption charges. The court also declined to overturn the bail of suspected drug-lord Amin Huda.

The stance of the Chamber Judge virtually upheld the High Court orders that granted them bail in corruption cases, court sources said.

Besides, Chamber Judge MA Matin also refused to hear ACC pleas for staying the High Court orders that had stalled the trial-court sentences against former state ministers Iqbal Mahmood Tuku and Amanullah Aman in graft cases.

Separate special courts set up in the parliament complex to deal with high-profile corruption cases under the current purge jailed Tuku for 9 years and Aman for 13 years for amassing wealth and concealing information about it.

The Chamber Judge asked the counsel for the ACC to file regular leave-to-appeal petitions against the High Court orders with the regular bench of the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Barrister Fazle Noor Tapash, a counsel for the freed Selim, told UNB that tough the Chamber Judge upheld the bail secured by his client, but it vacated the previous High Court stay on operation of the ACC-filed ill-gotten wealth case proceedings against him.