The High Court on Tuesday upheld the 2008 special judge’s court verdict that sentenced ruling Awami League lawmaker Mohammad Salim to 10 years in jail for possessing properties beyond his known sources of income.
The online bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq upheld the sentence handed in a case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission.
The court, however, acquitted Salim’s wife Gulshan Ara Begum as she died in 2011 during the pendency of her appeal against her three years jail term given by the same special court.
Gulshan Ara was sentenced for abetting and aiding Salim in possessing the illegal properties he acquired since 1991.
The High Court’s bench started the hearing on Salim’s appeal on January 31 and concluded on February 24 following a recent ACC move.
On January 12, 2015, the Appellate Division, responding to an ACC appeal, cancelled a judgement of the High Court that on November 1, 2011 scrapped a special court verdict sentencing him to 13 years in jail for possessing wealth worth Tk 26.92 crore beyond his known source of income.
The Appellate Division in the verdict had also directed the ACC to dispose of Salim’s appeal expeditiously after holding a fresh hearing on his appeal ‘on merit’.
But the ACC took no move in the past five years to dispose of Salim’s appeal to comply with the directive of the apex court.
Salim filed the appeal in 2009 against the jail term handed down by the Special Judge’s Court-7 on April 27, 2008.
The High Court, however, acquitted Salim of the charge of hiding information of his wealth. He was given three years sentence on the charge by the lower court.
The High Court asked Salim to surrender Special Judge’s Court-7 in Dhaka within 30 days after getting a copy of the judgement.
The lower court is also asked to ensure Salim's arrest in case he failed to surrender to the court within the stipulated period
The properties of Salim and his late wife in question in the case shall remain confiscated under the custody of the state, said the court.
