ACC asks for information on assets of 15 judges

The Ministry of Law has to send the information to the anti-graft watchdog by Apr 29

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sent a letter to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs seeking information on 15 judges as part of its investigation into allegations of illegal wealth acquisition.

The list of 15 includes the names of former joint secretary (administration) of the Ministry of Law and Senior District Judge Bikash Kumar Saha, former Dhaka chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) Rezaul Karim Chowdhury and former additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) Mohammad Asaduzzaman Nur.

The letter sent from the ACC head office has sought copies of the “personal files”, “data sheets” and asset statements of these judges.

ACC spokesman Akhtarul Islam confirmed on Thursday that this information must be sent by Apr 29.

The other judges whose documents have been sought are Sheikh Golam Mahbub (Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal, Tangail), Mahbubur Rahman Sarkar (Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal, Kishoreganj), Monir Kamal (former district judge, Sylhet), Tofazzal Hossain (former ACMM, Dhaka), Mushfiqur Islam (former additional district judge, Magura), Kaisarul Islam (former CMM, Gazipur), Molla Saiful Alam (former chief judicial magistrate, Narail), Farhana Ferdous (district judge, Mymensingh), Kamrun Nahar Rumi (Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal, Sherpur), Gaurang Hossain (former additional district judge, Dhaka), Mohammad Erfan Ullah (former additional district and sessions judge, Sylhet) and Saiful Alam Chowdhury (district and sessions judge, Habiganj).

A team comprising ACC Assistant Director Muhammad Monirul Islam and Deputy Assistant Director Md Abdullah Al Mamun is conducting the investigation.

The ACC alleges that corruption in the judiciary has increased since Anisul Huq took office as law minister during Sheikh Hasina's third term in 2014. Some judges close to him were involved in abuse of power, corruption, fraud and forgery, it says.

"In particular, Bikash Kumar Saha, Rezaul Karim and Asaduzzaman Nur are alleged to have acquired huge wealth through bribery, misconduct and different irregularities, which they collected in their own names or those of their family members."

In response to the letter, ACC Chairman Abdul Momen said on Thursday: “When there is a case in the court, it has to be resolved in the court. Exchanging letters is not a legal solution to pending cases.”