The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Special Judge Court 9 has awarded punishment to former ambassador Nazim Ullah Chowdhury even after the High Court issued a rule suspending the proceedings of the corruption case pending the hearing of the rule.

Lawyers of Chowdhuty are preparing to file a contempt of court case against the judge concerned.

The court awarded Nazim Ullah Chowdhury five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him TK 21 lakh and in case of failure to pay the fine to suffer another year in prison.

The corruption case was filed by Abdullah Al Zahid, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission with the Shahbagh Thana on 14 May this year. In the case Chowdhury was accused of misappropriating TK 20 lakh of the state when he was on duty in the United Arab Emirates. Nazim Ullah Chowdhury's lawyers Ahsanul Karim told newsmen that the High Court stayed the case on 12 November upon a petition filed on behalf of the accused. The government and the Anti-Corruption Commission were also asked to show cause as to why the case should not be declared to have been initiated and being continued without lawful authority and is of no legal effect.

He said since the attested true copies of the High Court order was not available lawyers informed the trial court through a certificate of the High Court order.

Public prosecutor Harun-or-Rashid received the certificate form him. But the court on November 16 awarded punishment to the former ambassador disregarding the High Court order, the lawyer said.