Law minister Anisul Huq said on Sunday the allegations raised against Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, now in Australia on sick leave, come under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
‘Most of the allegations come under the jurisdiction of ACC. So, case will be filed if the allegations are found well-grounded through primary investigation,’ the minister told reporters at a press briefing at the secretariat over the matter of CJ’s one-month leave and 11 allegations against him.
Replying to a question, he opined Supreme Judicial Council does not exist at present.
‘The government will appeal against the 16th amendment verdict. And the Supreme Judicial Council system for removal of Supreme Court judges cannot be restored automatically.’
Referring to the constitution, Anisul, a lawyer-turned-politician, said Appellate Division senior most judge justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah would perform the functions of the chief justice.
When asked about the statement of Justice Sinha he handed over to waiting reporters in front of the chief justice’s official residence while leaving for the airport on October 13, the minister said, ‘I’m dumbfounded.’
Earlier, the Supreme Court administration in a statement on Saturday termed misleading the statement chief justice SK Sinha issued before leaving Dhaka for Australia on Friday and said that there were 11 specific allegations of money laundering, financial irregularity, corruption and moral turpitude against him.
Supreme Court registrar general Syed Aminul Islam issued the statement a day after he saw Justice SK Sinha off at the airport in Dhaka late Friday night.
On October 5, he along with his spouse obtained long-term Australian visas after he reportedly went on a 30-day ‘sick leave’ on October 3.
His sick leave came up in the wake of severe criticism of the ruling Awami League leaders, including prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, over an Appellate Division’s verdict scrapping the 16th amendment to the constitution that empowered parliament to remove Supreme Court judges for misbehaviour or incapacity.
In his statement Justice Sinha handed over to waiting reporters in front of the chief justice’s official residence while leaving for the airport Friday night, he said that he was fully in sound health.
He said that he was really embarrassed over the criticism against him by a political quarter, lawyers and especially a few ministers and the prime minister on one of his verdict.
Source: New Age
