Case against Moeen to continue

The Appellate Division has withdrawn a stay on a defamation case against former army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed.

A full bench headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain issued the order on Tuesday after hearing an appeal to scrap the case.

Former state minister for power Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku had filed the case against the ex-army chief.

The ruling means the case against Moeen can now continue in the trial court, Tuku’s lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokan said.

The case was filed against the former army chief on July 12, 2009 for making ‘false’ remarks on irregularities and corruption in power sector during the BNP-led coalition government.

Tuku demanded Tk 1 billion as compensation while filing the case in the Dhaka’s Third Joint Sessions Judge’s Court.

Regarding the charges in the case, Khokan said, "During a gathering at the parade ground on Mar 27, 2007, Moeen had said Tk 200 billion was looted from the power sector and siphoned off during the [BNP-led] Four-Party alliance government’s tenure. But the total allocation to the sector at the time was nearly Tk 130 billion."

"Of the amount, at least Tk 90 billion was spent on payment of salaries and allowances.

So, the allegation that Tk 200 billion had been plundered was imaginary, he contended.

Moeen appealed to scrap the case on Sept 8, 2009 but the court rejected it.

He filed civil revision petition to the High Court in 2010 but it was also turned down.

The former army chief again filed civil petition for leave to appeal to the Appellate Division that year.

The Appellate Division stayed the case proceedings in the trial court following a preliminary hearing on the appeal later that year.

Lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokan said since the court rejected the appeal there was no bar in continuing the case proceedings.