HC acquits Maya of graft charges

The High Court on Monday acquitted Awami League leader and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya from a graft case, scrapping the 13-year jail awarded to him by a Dhaka special judge’s court.

Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukdar and Justice KM Hafizul Alam pronounced the verdict after allowing Maya’s appeal challenging the lower court judgment.

The court observed that it had found no reasonable grounds to uphold Maya’s sentence.

A bench of Md Nazrul Isalm Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam was scheduled to deliver the verdict on Sunday but it was not possible as Maya’s lawyers presented further arguments on the day.

Earlier on August 14, the HC set October 7 for delivering its verdict in the case.

On June 13, 2007, Assistant Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Nurul Alam filed the case with Sutrapur Police Station for amassing wealth worth Tk. 29 lakh illegally.

A Special Judges Court on February 14, 2008, sentenced Maya to 13 years jail and also fined him Tk 5 crore over the wealth accumulation.

Maya filed an appeal on May 25, 2009, with High Court and the HC cancelled the sentence of the Awami League leader on October 27, 2010.

On June 14, 2015, the Appellate Division revoked a High Court verdict that had acquitted Maya of graft charges overturning a Special Judge’s Court verdict that had sentenced him to imprisonment for 13 years on February 14, 2008.