According to court sources, Russell filed an appeal with the High Court challenging the trial court’s verdict and also sought bail.
Showkat Aziz Russell. Photo: Collected
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Showkat Aziz Russell. Photo: Collected
The High Court has granted six-month bail to Showkat Aziz Russell, chairman of Amber Group, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a corruption case over the allocation of plots under the Rajuk Purbachal Residential Project.
A single-judge High Court bench headed by Justice Syed Jahed Mansur passed the order yesterday (10 November).
Advocate Zainul Abedin represented Russell in court, while Deputy Attorney General Md Omar Faruk appeared for the state.
According to court sources, Russell filed an appeal with the High Court challenging the trial court’s verdict and also sought bail. The High Court accepted the appeal for hearing and granted him six months’ bail.
Earlier, on 1 November, Showkat Aziz Russell was sent to jail following an order by Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 Judge Md Abdus Salam.
The order came after the same court sentenced Russell and seven others to 14 years in prison each on 13 October in the Purbachal plot allocation corruption case.
The convicted individuals are former Rajuk chairman Iqbal Uddin Chowdhury, former members SD Foyez, AKM Wahedul Islam, SM Zafar Ullah, HM Jahurul Haque and Md Rezaul Karim Torafder, along with Russell and his brother Ashfaq Aziz Rubel, sons of late Partex Group founder MA Hashem.
Each convict was also fined.
The court found Russell and Ashfaq Aziz guilty under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and Section 409 of the Penal Code. They were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment under each section, totalling 14 years, and fined Tk20 lakh each. An additional year of rigorous imprisonment was ordered in default of payment.
The six former Rajuk officials received the same sentences and fines.
The verdict stated that time already spent in custody would be deducted from the sentences and that the punishments under both sections would run concurrently. The accused were acquitted of charges under Section 420 of the Penal Code due to a lack of evidence.
The court also cancelled the allotments of two plots, numbered 011 and 013, on Road 405 in Sector 1, allocated to Showkat Aziz Russell and Ashfaq Aziz, and ordered their confiscation in favour of the state.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on 8 February 2017 over allegations that 20 kathas of land in Purbachal had been allocated through the abuse of influence.
Sylvia Ferdous, then an assistant director of the ACC, filed the case.
According to the complaint, the accused, acting in collusion, allocated two 10-katha plots to Showkat Aziz Russell and Ashfaq Aziz, causing financial loss to the state.
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