HC asks not to comment on money laundering until investigation ended

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin filed a writ with the High Court (HC) on Monday seeking removal of 'derogatory' and 'false' contents from public domain created against him.

Some 18 people, including home secretary, information secretary, BTRC chairman, editor-in-chief of Ekattor Television, its sports journalists and barrister Sumon, have been made defendants in the writ.

The HC passed an order on Wednesday after a two-day hearing on the writ.

It is said in the order that a month ago barrister Sumon filed a writ with the HC bringing allegations of money laundering by Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and its president Kazi Salahuddin.

No defendants would be allowed to comment on the issue until the investigation of the corruption-related writ is completed.

In the hearing, the senior lawyer Azmalul Hossain, Momtaz Uddin Fakir and Mohammad Saifullah Mamun stood for the writ while Anik R Haque and barrister Sumon represented the defendants.        

Barrister Sumon told Prothom Alo that "Neither of the parties won or conceded defeat in the order. He (Salauddin) filed the writ to stop derogatory remarks against him while we claimed we spoke the truth. If it tarnishes his image, we have nothing to do."

"You (defendants) won't comment on the money laundering issue being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)," he quoted the court as saying.

Apart from that there is no bar to criticise him for his failures on the talk-shows aired at night. We are allowed to comment on any other matters [except the money laundering ones], Sumon added.   

He said the court, however, didn’t instruct anything on removing 'derogatory' and 'false' contents created against him from the public domain.