Hafiz Ibrahim's wife accuses judge of contempt of court

An accused in a money laundering case yesterday filed a contempt of court petition with the Supreme Court against a lower court judge for not complying with the apex court order that asked him to follow the relevant law in accusing two people in the case.Mafruza Sultana, wife of former BNP lawmaker Hafiz Ibrahim, submitted the petition against Abu Ahmed Jomadar of Special Judge's Court-3 of Dhaka.

The SC on April 12 this year directed the Dhaka court judge to try two witnesses in a money laundering case--Julfikar Ali and his wife Rahima Ali--along with Hafiz and Mafruza, said Mafruza's lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon.

The SC has also ordered the judge to follow the provisions of the relevant law in this regard. But Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar has not taken approval from the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) while taking cognizance of the offences against Julfikar and Rahima on June 11 this year in the case, he said.

The ACC filed the case with Gulshan Police Station on August 16, 2011 against Hafiz Ibrahim and his wife Mafruza Sultana for laundering US $1.75 lakh to Singapore.

The money was allegedly transferred from the joint account of Julfikar and Rahima to the account of Hafiz and Mafruza.

Julfikar, who is an agent of Siemens Bangladesh, was also a witness of the money laundering cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, Mahbub Uddin added.

Yesterday, chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique fixed February 11 next year for hearing the contempt of court petition before the full bench.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar has been dealing with the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruptions cases against Khaleda Zia and others.