https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/sc-stays-tariques-7-yr-jail-sentence-money-laundering-case-3772786

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today stayed a High Court verdict that sentenced BNP's acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to seven years' imprisonment in a money laundering case.

The apex court also stayed a lower court judgement that sentenced Tarique's close aide Gias Uddin Al Mamun to seven years' imprisonment in the case.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed came up with the order following a leave to appeal petition filed by Mamun challenging the HC verdict.

The apex court also allowed Mamun to move an appeal before this court against the HC judgement.

On July 21, 2016, the HC sentenced Tarique to seven years' imprisonment and fined him Tk 20 crore in the case involving Tk 20.41 crore.

In 2013, the lower court acquitted Tarique from the money laundering charge and jailed Gias Uddin Al Mamun for seven years and fined him Tk 40 crore.

Tarique was arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown in 2007 and was released on bail on September 3 the following year. He flew to the UK on September 11 for treatment and has been staying in London since then.

In the money laundering case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2009, he was accused of siphoning off Tk 20.41 crore to Singapore when the BNP was in power.

Lawyer Kayser Kamal and Sheikh Md Zakir appeared for Tarique and Mamun while lawyer Ashif Hassan stood for the ACC.