HC upholds Haji Salim's 10 yrs jail sentence

The High Court on Tuesday upheld 10 years' imprisonment of Dhaka-7 MP Haji Mohammad Salim given for amassing illegal wealth.

The virtual bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque delivered the verdict after hearing on the appeal filed by Salim, challenging the sub-ordinate court verdict that gave him 13 years jail. 

Alongside, the court fined him Tk 10 lakh, and in default, he has to serve a year rigorous imprisonment. 

But the court cancelled the three years' imprisonment of Salim given by the lower court for concealing information on his wealth as the Anti-Corruption Commission failed to prove the charge.

The HC, however, asked the ruling Awami League politician to surrender before the court within 30 days after receiving today's verdict copy. 

Earlier on October 24, 2007, the ACC filed a case against Haji Salim with Lalbagh Police Station on charge of accumulating wealth illegally.

The Special Judge's Court-7 of Dhaka on April 27, 2008 jailed him for 13 years and fined Tk 20 lakh in the lawsuit.

On October 25, 2009 he filed an appeal before the High Court against the verdict, and the HC on January 2, 2011 cancelled the sentence that prompted the ACC to file appeal before the Supreme Court against the verdict.

After hearing on the appeal, the SC's Appellate Division on January 12, 2015 cancelled the HC verdict and asked it to resume hearing on Haji Salim's appeal. 

In the court, advocate Md Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for ACC while lawyers Abdul Baset Mazumder and Sayeed Ahmed Raza stood for Salim.

FH/SU