BNP leader Tuku's jail term in graft case upheld

The High Court on Tuesday upheld BNP leader Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku's nine years' jail term given by a trial court in a graft case.

The court also ordered Tuku to surrender before a lower court in two weeks.

An HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu pronounced the judgement after dismissing the appeals filed by Tuku challenging the lower court verdict.

Golam Shahrier Chowdhury, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, on March 21, 2007, filed a case against Tuku, his wife Rumana Mahmud, son Abed Hasan Mahmud and daughter Farah Hasan Mahmud for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement. Their wealth valued at Tk 35.95 crore did not match with their sources of income.

An ACC investigation later found their wealth valued worth over Tk 38.42 crore.

A trial court on November 15 of the same year sentenced the BNP leader to jail for nine years. Following an appeal filed by Tuku, the HC on June 15, 2011, acquitted him of the graft charges.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on January 21, 2014, cancelled the HC verdict and asked it to hold a fresh hearing on the appeals.

TF