High Court stays customs detectives’ summons to Raintree hotel MD for a month

The High Court has stayed the summons sent to Raintree hotel’s Managing Director HM Adnan Haroon over the illegal storage of alcohol and allegations of VAT and tax evasion by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate or CIID.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 May 2017, 09:51 AM
Updated : 22 May 2017, 02:44 PM

The one-month stay was given on Monday after Adnan, the son of ruling party MP Bazlul Haque Haroon, challenged the validity of the notice in a court petition.

The summons had ordered Adnan to appear at the CIID offices in Kakrail with the required documents on May 23.

The High Court also issued a rule asking why the summons would not be deemed illegal.

Lawyer Ahsanul Karim represented the Raintree managing director at the hearing. The state was represented by Deputy Attorney General SM Moniruzzaman.

“The court has blocked the notice from going into effect. Adnan will not have to appear at the CIID headquarters and explain himself.”

CIID had conducted a raid on Raintree on May 15 and confiscated several bottles of alcohol in the aftermath of the Banani rape case, which allegedly originated in one of the hotel’s rooms.

CIID had originally summoned Adnan to its headquarters on May 17, but the managing director sent a legal representative asking for more time due to his illness. He received an extension on the summons until May 23.