Verdict in case against Mirza Abbas deferred for third time

A Dhaka court has deferred the verdict in a case filed against BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas on charges of acquiring wealth beyond the known sources of income for the third time.

Judge of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-6, Manjurul Islam, Thursday fixed 24 January as the new date to pronounce the verdict, the court’s bench assistant Jahidul Islam confirmed to Prothom Alo.

Following the completion of placing arguments in the case on 22 November, the court set 30 November as the date for verdict. But the court that day fixed 12 December as the date to pronounce the verdict.

The court did not read out the verdict that day either. Instead it set 28 December as the new date.

The Anti-Corruption Commission lodged the lawsuit against former Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas on 16 August in 2007 on charges of amassing over Tk 75.43 million beyond the sources of his income and hiding the wealth information equivalent to over Tk 5.72 million.

The charge sheet in the case was produced before the court on 14 May in 2008.

ACC produced 24 witnesses in support of its claim.

Currently Mirza Abbas is in jail in a case filed after a clash between the police and the BNP leaders and activists on 28 October.

DMP’s detective branch arrested him in the case on 31 October this year.