The Tribunal to deal with the accused in match-fixing allegations in the Bangladesh Premier League has yet to be formed, although three weeks have passed by since the submission of the investigation report by the International Cricket Council.
The delay had raised quite a few eyebrows as it was expected that the Bangladesh Cricket Board would take necessary steps immediately to set up the Tribunal after ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit on August 13 charged nine individuals to be involved in the conspiracy.
The 14-day deadline for the accused persons to indicate whether they wish to plead guilty or to defend themselves against the charges brought against them ended on August 27. Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain and pacer Mahbubul Alam appealed to defend themselves while the owners of Dhaka Gladiators also did the same.
The charges relate to an alleged conspiracy within the Dhaka Gladiators franchise to engage in match-fixing and spot-fixing activities during matches in the BPL 2013, as well as failure by the individuals to report approaches made to them.
After receiving the ACSU’s investigation report, the BCB immediately requested former chief justice of Bangladesh Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury to lead a disciplinary panel and form tribunals to hold trial of the nine cricketers and officials accused of breaching BCB’s anti-corruption code.
Barrister Rafiqul Haque, who is expected to be a member of the Tribunal, told New Age on Wednesday that Justice Amin had taken his consent recently but added that there was no further progress in the matter to his knowledge.
Barrister Rafique opined that the Tribunal should be formed without any delay as he feels there are several key issues that need to be sorted out for the betterment of the country’s image as well as for the individuals who were dragged into the saga.
‘Mahmudul Amin had taken my consent,’ said the eminent lawyer. ‘I think the matter should be resolved soon by forming the Tribunal immediately.
‘The image of the country is also related with the whole affair as some of its cricket players are involved. And there are several accused persons who can be proved innocent later, so for the sake of them it should start,’ he added.
The members of the disciplinary panel will be selected from three different categories of professionals.
Three members will be appointed from the retired judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh or district judges, three from socially well-recognised civilians while the remaining four shall be appointed from persons having expertise in cricket.
It was learnt that Justice Amin will head the 10-member disciplinary panel with the names of Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Barrister Rafiqul Haque, Azmalul Hossain QC, former national cricket team captain Roquibul Hassan and ex-cricketers Ishtiaque Ahmed, Shakil Kashem and Selim Shahed, among others, being discussed.
The head of the disciplinary panel is likely to form more than one tribunal to hear the cases. The BCB will decide how many tribunals will be required.
Barrister Nurus Sadik, who is representing Mosharraf and Mahbubul , said that unless the Tribunal is formed the case remains where it was after the ICC accused the nine individuals.
‘We had requested for leave to appeal. But unless
the tribunal is formed further course of action cannot take place, like our chance to appeal and thereafter the hearing upon which a lot depends of our clients,’ said Sadik.
‘Next week we would plead formally that the sanction should be withdrawn unless the tribunal is formed,’ he added.
Mohammad Ashraful, one of the nine individuals charged by the ICC and has already confessed to the offence publicly though he has yet to formally plead guilty, is in talks with reputed British lawyer Barrister Yasin Patel, who also defended disgraced former Pakistan captain Salman Butt in his match-fixing trial.
-With New Age input
