Hallmark Scam
ACC files 8 more appeals seeking cancellation of Jesmine’s bail
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday filed eight more petitions with the High Court seeking cancellation of bail granted by a lower court to Hallmark Group chairperson Jesmine Islam in 11 cases relating to the embezzlement of Tk 1,568 crore from state owned Sonali Bank.
On August 13, the ACC had filed three petitions with the HC seeking cancellation of her bail granted by the lower court in as many defalcation cases.
On August 4, senior special judge Md Zahurul Haq of Dhaka granted her bail in 11 cases on the condition that she would repay the money embezzled by the Hallmark Group from Sonali Bank in monthly installments of Tk 100 crore.
The condition made it clear that Jesmine’s bail would be automatically cancelled if she failed to repay a single installment and in that case she has to surrender in the court on the following day.
Each month for the repayment would be counted from August 4, that is a day after she got the bail, the judge said in the order.
The ACC said in its appeal petitions that an individual accused of such a scam was not entitled to bail during the investigation stage.
It cited an apex court decision which termed conditional bail as illegal.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said that he would move all the 11 appeal petitions today before a vacation bench.
On August 4 Jesmine was released on bail.
She also filed 11 appeal petitions in the High Court against the special judge’s order requiring her to repay Tk 100 crore every month.
Arguing for Jesmine, advocate Rafique-Ul Huq submitted that the special judge’s order relating repayment should be stayed as the Appellate Division prohibited granting of conditional bails.
On August 12, an HC vacation bench dropped Jesmine’s appeals from the cause list clearing the way for her lawyer to move her appeal petitions in any other vacation bench.
On October 4, 2012, the ACC had filed 11 cases against Jesmine, her husband and Hallmark managing director Tanvir Mahmud, five other Hallmark Group officials, and 20 Sonali Bank officials including its former managing director Humayun Kabir for the embezzlement of over Tk 1,568.39 crore from Sonali Bank.
-With New Age input
