Contemptuous remarks: SC rejects Qamrul’s explanation, set Mar 27 for next hearing

The Supreme Court on Sunday did not accept explanations of food minister Qamrul Islam about his contemptuous remarks and partially accepted the expiations of liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Huq.
The court asked Qamrul to come up with a fresh explanation on March 27 and set the day for further hearing.
The eight member bench led by chief justice SK Sinha passed the order after the two ministers appeared before the court in the morning following an earlier order of the court.
Both the ministers sought unconditional pardon for their remarks.
AKM Mozammel’s counsel Rafiq-ul Huq sought simple punishment since his client admitted his guilt. In reply, the chief justice asked what happens when one admits to his guilt. He also asked does it mean that the minister had breached his oath by committing such remarks.
The ministers appeared in the court room for their explanations over controversial comments about chief justice SK Sinha.
Earlier on March 15, the Supreme Court ordered the two ministers to appear before it today.
Meanwhile, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Huq appeared before the court on that day.
On March 14, ministers Qamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq offered unconditional apology to the court for their remarks.
They begged the pardon in separate applications submitted to the SC through their lawyers.
Qamrul also filed a petition with the SC seeking time to appear before it as he was in Malaysia to attend a conference.
Earlier on March 8, the Supreme Court summoned the two ministers to appear before it on March 15 for their reactions to reported remarks of Chief Justice SK Sinha about prosecution as regards the trial of Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali in a war crimes case. The court then ordered them to explain their comments before it by March 14.
Qamrul and Mozammel demanded resignation of the Chief Justice for his reported remarks that ‘the prosecution is doing politics with the trial of condemned war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali’.
The two ministers made the demands at a roundtable discussion organised by Ekattarer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in the city on March 5.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on March 6 urged all to exercise restraint in making comments on such issues as those are ‘unconstitutional’.
During the hearing of arguments on Mir Quasem Ali’s appeal petition on February 23, the Chief Justice purportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of the prosecution and the investigation agency.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net