BD CJ accused of corruption as he departs country

Source: www.thenews.com.pk --- Saturday, October 14, 2017
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s chief justice has been accused of serious crimes including corruption by the country’s government, it emerged on Saturday, as he departed for Australia expressing his fears for judicial independence in the nation. The accusations against Surendra Kumar Sinha follow widespread speculation that he had come under pressure to take leave over a landmark verdict delivered by his court that went against the government in August. The graft allegations emerged in a rare statement from Sinha’s own Supreme Court on Saturday, which said other top judges have refused to sit with him at the top bench after he was accused of serious crimes such as graft. The statement said Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid had called four top judges of the Supreme Court to his palace on September 30 and handed over the documents on "11 specific allegations" against Sinha. "They include money laundering, financial irregularities, corruption, moral degradation and other specific serious allegations ," it said. It said the judges held a meeting with Sinha over the charges at his residence in Dhaka and at one stage he even said clearly that he would step down if they stopped sitting with him in court. Later, on October 2, he sought a one-month leave from the President, who granted the holiday from the next day, it said. The saga over his leave came just months after he led the Supreme Court in scrapping parliament’s power to sack top judges -- a ...

from Australia http://ift.tt/2gFVs0K