Wed, Aug 18th, 2010 8:06 pm BdST

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=171015&cid=2

Dhaka, Aug 18 (bdnews24.com)—A Dhaka court has deferred the hearing of Bangladesh Bank's appeal to bring back Tk 130 million, smuggled by Arafat Rahman Coco and Ismail Hossain Simon to Singapore, to Sept 15.

Acting judge of the Dhaka's Senior Special Judges' Court Mohammad Ismail Hossain gave the order on Wednesday in response to a petition by defense lawyers.

The defendants' lawyers including Sanaullah Miah petitioned for more time to prepare for the hearing of the written complaint lodged.

In the petition they said Moudud Ahmed will also represent the defendants in the hearing and urged for time as he was caught up in the hearing of another case at the High Court.

The judge accepted the petition and deferred the hearing. At the same time, he accepted the written complaint.

He also forwarded the case records to special judge Mozammel Hossain to continue the hearing of the petition on the later date.

On July 12, deputy governor of the central bank Ziaul Hassan Siddiqui appealed to the court to bring back the laundered money from Singapore.

The court, on July 18, set the date of the hearing on Aug 18.

Case details revealed that attorney general Mahbubey Alam urged the Bangladesh Bank governor on June 29 last year to initiate procedure to bring back the laundered money.

Special judge Mohammad Ismail Hossain also set the charge framing against Coco in a Mar 1 tax evasion case filed by National Board of Revenue on Oct 6.

Coco was arrested on Sept 2, 2007 in GATCO corruption case. Following his release on bail on July 17, 2008, he went to Bangkok for treatment.

The Anticorruption Commission filed the case on Mar 17 last year with Kafrul Police Station, accusing Coco and Ismail Hossain Simon for laundering 28, 84, 000 Singapore dollars and 9, 32, 000 US dollars.

Charge sheet against the two was submitted on Nov 12.