Top court upholds Latif Siddique’s bail in corruption case

The top court has upheld the six-month bail granted by the High Court to former Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddique in a corruption case started by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

On Sunday, a four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain rebuffed the anti-graft agency's appeal against the High Court order.

Lawyers Monsurul Hoque Chowdhury and Shah Manzurul Haque represented Latif in court while Khurshid Alam Khan appeared on behalf of the ACC.

“The Appellate Division dismissed the appeal filed by  the ACC considering Latif’s age and health. Therefore, the bail granted by the High Court is valid; there’s no legal barrier to his release,” Monsurul told bdnews24.com.

A High Court bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Hoque granted six months’ bail to Latif Siddique on Nov 4.

The ACC moved the Chamber Court for a stay order against the HC order on Nov 7.

The Chamber Court forwarded the appeal to the regular bench fixing Nov 11 for the hearing date on Nov 11. It also ordered the authorities to ensure that Siddique was not released  during that time.

On Nov 11, the top court heard the ACC's appeal and stayed the bail order before scheduling the verdict for Sunday.

Latif, a former MP from Tangail-4 seat, was in charge of the textiles and jute ministry in the Awami League’s 2009-13 term.

The former minister is accused of misusing his power and resorting to corruption while selling 2.38 acres of land controlled by the Bangladesh Jute Corporation in Adamdighi Upazila’s Dariapur to Jahanara Rashid, without floating a tender.

The market value of the land was Tk 6.4 million as per the government’s assessment but he sold it for Tk 2.3 million, the ACC alleged in the case.