The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s Anti Corruption Tribunal, formed to deal with the Bangladesh Premier League match-fixing scandal, handed over all their evidence to the defence lawyers, officials said on Friday. The preliminary hearing of the nine individuals charged by the International Cricket Council got underway on November 24, with the final proceedings set to begin on January 19.
A tribunal official said they handed the evidence to the defence lawyers so that they could attend the hearing fully prepared.
Barrister Nurus Sadik, the lawyer of left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain Rubel and pace bowler Mahbubul Alam, confirmed that he had received the evidence.
‘We received the evidence on Thursday and we are now examining it,’ said Sadik.
‘We will submit our reply on January 19 and the hearing will take place on January 25.’
Justice Khademul Islam leads the three-member tribunal, which also includes senior lawyer Ajmalul Islam QC and former cricketer Shakil Kasem.
Seven of the nine individuals have been directly charged with fixing-related activities, while two others were charged with failing to report corrupt approaches despite being obliged to do so.
The charges were bought after a massive investigation by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, which was engaged by the BCB to provide anti-corruption cover during the BPL’s second edition.
Among the accused, former national skipper Mohammad Ashraful and Sri Lankan cricketer Kaushal Lokuarachchi pleaded guilty, while six others claimed innocence. Former Bangladesh spinner Mohammad Rafique has not retained a lawyer and has refrained from responding to the tribunal summons as well.
Dhaka Gladiators’ owner Salim Chowdhury and his son Shihab Chowdhury, along with their Indian chief executive Gourav Rawat and English recruit Darren Stevens, are also among the accused.
-With New Age input
