Case Against Tarique, Mamun
Defence questions court's jurisdiction
Businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun's lawyer yesterday submitted a petition challenging the legality of the trial court judge's jurisdiction to try the money laundering case against his client and BNP leader Tarique Rahman.
In the petition, Barrister Fakhrul Islam said as per provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), if a person commits offence outside Bangladesh and he or she is arrested in Bangladesh, the person shall be tried with government's approval.
If there is no approval from the government and it is necessary to try the arrestee, government approval must be acquired after filing the case. The place of crime in this case is Singapore.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) did not get approval neither before nor after filing the case. Thus, the trial court has no jurisdiction to try the case, he added.
Special Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol opposed the petition saying the defence has no legal right to file any petition challenging the legality of the trial court judge's jurisdiction at this stage of the trial.
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of the Special Judge Court-3 fixed September 27 for further hearing on the petition.
In 2010, the ACC pressed charges against the two for laundering Tk 20.41 crore between 2003 and 2007.
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