Argument in ACC case against Ariful, wife ends today
Argument in the graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against Sylhet city BNP chief Ariful Haque Chowdhury and his wife Shama Haque Chowdhury (absconding) will be concluded today.
Sylhet District and Sessions Judge Md Abdul Gafur, also the judge of special tribunal, fixed the date yesterday afternoon as argument was held partially. Judgement in the case may be pronounced next week, court sources said.
Claiming innocence in the court on June 5, Ariful said some vested quarters and his political opponents had influenced filing the 'baseless and motivated' case by the ACC. Earlier on June 2, examination and cross-examination of 26 prosecution witnesses ended. Cross-examination of ACC Assistant Director of Comilla Regional office -- Shahin Ara Mumtaj, also investigation officer of the case, was held as the last PW that day.
Among the PWs, the court recorded deposition of ACC Secretary Delwar Hossain, Director Abdul Wadud, Deputy Director Md Nasir Uddin, Sylhet Chamber chief and city BNP Vice-President Zunnun Mahmud Khan, the then executive engineer and 4 other engineers of PWD and manager of a car shop in the capital.
Ariful produced his distant relative UK expatriate Abdul Khalique as defence witness who on June 10 told the court that in 2006 he had given Tk 23 lakh to Ariful for buying some lands in Sylhet. However, the prosecution said the document filed in support of buying lands is not acceptable as it had been bought in the name of Arif. Besides, Khalique failed to produce any document in support of his claimed payment.
Assistant Director of the ACC, Comilla regional office- Shahin Ara Momtaj on March 3 filed charge sheet against Ariful and his wife on charge of accumulating wealth worth over Tk 2 and a half crore through corruption.
An aide to former finance minister BNP stalwart M Saifur Rahman, Ariful was on the first list of corrupt suspects prepared after the declaration emergency in January last year.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments