HC stays Bijoy TV graft case against ABM Mohiuddin

Dhaka, Jan 17 (bdprem.com) - The High Court stayed proceedings against Chittagong City mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury Thursday in the Bijoy TV corruption case. Your Ad Here High Court judges, justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and justice Md Abdul Hye issued the order following an appeal from Chowdhury. The court also issued a rule on Chittagong's deputy commissioner to explain why proceedings in the case should not be cancelled. Anticorruption Commission deputy director Abu Arif Siddique filed the Bijoy TV case with Chittagong Kotwali Police Station last June. The case centers on allegations that the mayor drew Tk 1.47 crore from CCC funds without permission from the local government ministry or information ministry. It is also alleged that Chowdhury did not float any tender for the new television station prior to spending more than Tk 1 crore setting up the operation. Bijoy TV started transmission on Dec 16, 2006. On March 8 last year the government issued a show-cause notice on CCC, and closed down the station on March 15. In the appeal hearing Chowdhury's lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain said: "According to the City Corporation Act, if a mayor, or the commissioners, causes a financial loss to the corporation it will be considered a civil responsibility." "The money lost in this way could be recovered as a public demand recovery," he said. "In this case, a criminal case is not acceptable. Besides, in line with the Public Procurement Act, the mayor can do work for Bijoy TV directly, without floating any tender," Hossain said.