Graft: Comilla Mayor-elect Shakoo gets bail on surrender

A Dhaka court today granted bail to Comilla City Corporation Mayor-elect Monirul Hoque Shakoo after he surrendered before it in a corruption case in 2008.

Judge (in-charge) Zahidul Kabir of the Senior Special Judges’ Court passed the order after a lawyer of Shakoo, also a BNP leader, moved a petition seeking his bail.

The court fixed May 24 for starting charge framing hearing against the accused in the case.

Shahin Ara Momtaz, an assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), filed the case against Shakoo and his wife with Ramna Police Station on January 7 of 2008 for their alleged involvement in amassing Tk 4.57 crore illegally and concealing wealth statement of Tk 1.12 crore.

On April 18 this year, the court issued an arrest warrant for the BNP leader after accepting charges brought against him in the case.

The acceptance of the charge sheet has created a scope for the government to suspend Shakoo, who won the Comilla mayor polls held on March 30.

Election Commission sources said the EC on the same day issued a gazette notification, paving the way for his taking oath as the Comilla city mayor.

According to Section 12 and 13 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009, a mayor or a councillor, if convicted or charge sheeted in criminal cases, can be suspended. The act also says any elected representative can be removed from office for skipping three consecutive general meetings without any valid reason.

In recent years, several mayors, upazila chairmen and vice chairmen loyal to the BNP and the Jamaat were suspended after they had been indicted in similar criminal cases.

Source: thedailystar