Arrest warrant issued against Khoka

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A Dhaka court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka in a case filed against him for amassing wealth worth Tk 9.76 crore illegally and giving false information to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

However, the High Court (HC) at 5:00pm granted him anticipatory bail in the case and stayed the proceedings until July 16 following a writ petition for quashing the case.

LOWER COURT PROCEEDINGS
After scrutinising the case docket and other relevant documents, Senior Special Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court accepted the charge sheet and passed the order at 2:00pm.

The court also rejected the petition submitted by Khoka’s wife Ishmat Ara for further investigation into the allegations since, according to her, the charge sheet was defective.

The court discharged Khoka’s son Ishrak Hossain and daughter Sarika Sadeque from charges on an appeal by the investigation officer (IO).

On July 1, ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam, also the IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet against Khoka to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court showing 45 people as prosecution witnesses.

The ACC could not submit any probe report in another case as the HC had earlier stayed the proceedings of the case against Khoka’s wife Ishmat Ara.

The Investigation Officer (IO) will take necessary steps against Ishmat Ara after an HC order.

The IO prayed for issuance of arrest warrant against Khoka and an order to attach his properties.

On April 2 this year, ACC filed the case against Khoka, his wife Ishmat Ara, son Ishrak and daughter Sarika for accumulating wealth worth over Tk 17.57 crore beyond Khoka’s known sources of income and concealing information about his wealth.

HC PROCEEDINGS
The bench comprising Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad yesterday passed the order following a writ petition to quash the graft case against DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka along with a bail prayer submitted by his lawyers.

The bench also stayed the proceedings against him until July 16 and issued a rule upon the government and the ACC to explain by this time why the proceedings of the case should not be quashed.

The HC also fixed July 16 for further hearing of the petition.

The petitioner’s counsels Barrister Rafique-ul Huq and barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon told the newsmen that the HC granted bail to Khoka and stayed proceedings against him on the grounds that the HC has jurisdiction to grant bail to any accused as per section 561 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

They further said the ACC did not maintain due procedure of the rules and law in giving sanction for filing this case.

ACC’s counsel Khurshid Alam Khan, however, said that the commission would file an appeal with the Supreme Court to vacate the HC order as soon as possible.

Mayor Khoka appeared before the HC bench for bail in this case.

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