High Court acquits Awami League leader Maya of graft charges for second time

The High Court has acquitted Awami League leader and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya of charges in a 2007 corruption case, overturning the 13-year prison sentence awarded to him by a Dhaka special judge’s court.

Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukdar and Justice KM Hafizul Alam issued the decision on Monday.

Eight years ago, a separate High Court bench had ruled in favour of Maya and overturned the conviction, but the Appellate Division later dismissed the verdict and ordered a re-trial of the case at the High Court.

The Anti-Corruption Commission was represented by Khurshid Alam Khan. Lawyers Abdul Baset Majumdar, Dr Bashir Ahmed and Sayeed Ahmed Raja represented Maya. Deputy Attorney Generals Rona Nahreen and AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.

On Jun 13, 2007, the ACC prosecuted Maya, now relief and disaster management minister, at Sutrapur Police Station, accusing him of having untaxed assets worth Tk 62.92 million and keeping Tk 58.65 million in secret assets.

On Feb 14, 2008, during the rule of the caretaker government, a Dhaka special judge’s court sentenced him to 13 years in jail and fined him Tk 50 million.

The High Court acquitted him of the charges in 2010 after the Awami League returned to power.

On Jun 14, 2015, the Supreme Court scrapped the High Court verdict and ordered a rehearing of Maya’s appeal.

The appeal hearings ended on Aug 14 this year. At the hearing, the court decided the verdict was to be announced on Oct 7, but it was deferred to Monday after the defence requested an additional hearing.