The High Court (HC) has reprimanded the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) for not ensuring Jahlam’s bail even though proof of his innocence surfaced during their probe.
The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader on Wednesday (Mar 6) ordered the graft watchdog to file documents of all 26 cases over loan fraud and embezzlement of Tk 185 million from Sonali Bank.
Despite being innocent Jahalam served three years in prison for the charges.
The court said at the hearing that no one wants ACC’s image to be tainted but the graft watchdog has to make sure that it remains “clean.”
ACC counsel Md Khurshid Alam Khan told the court that after Channel 24’s report that brought Jahlam’s innocence to light was aired, the graft-busters appointed opened an investigation.
“The probe found that he was not guilty,” he said.
The court slammed Alam asking what the investigators did until Channel-24’s report and the existence of an independent organisation, such as ACC was moot if they can’t do their job right.
“Why didn’t the prosecution let him go when the probe revealed that he was innocent? On what basis did you press charges on him?” the court asked.
In reply to that Alam sought for more time, saying, “We will file all the documents with the court.”
To the ACC’s plea of making two banks parties in the matter, despite Jahlam being charged with loan frauds against 18 banks, the court accused them of “picking and choosing.”
The court said that the ACC was producing someone who should be charged as a witness and that they have to make all the 18 banks parties.
The court then ordered the anti-graft body to file all the case documents and fixed Apr 10 for the next hearing.
Jahalam was arrested in 2016 after he was mistaken for one Abu Salek who was accused in 33 cases filed by the ACC over loan fraud and embezzling nearly Tk185 million from Sonali Bank.
The ACC summoned jute mill worker Jahalam over the matter five years ago through a letter sent to his Tangail residence. He was then produced in court where he pleaded innocent saying that he was not Salek.
He was released on Feb 4 day after it was brought to the HC’s attention that he was serving time instead of Salek.