HC orders ACC to probe AL MP Golap’s properties in US

Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of purchasing multiple houses in New York, USA, against Awami League (AL) MP Abdus Sobhan Miah Golap.
The court also asked the ACC to submit the probe report on the allegations against the Madaripur-3 lawmaker to this court through the Supreme Court Registrar General in four months.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by SC lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman seeking necessary directives on this issue.
Barrister Suman appeared in the court hearing in support of his petition, while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC and
Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
Earlier on Sunday (February 26) Barrister Suman submitted the petition as a public interest litigation also seeking the court’s order to investigate the allegation against Golap of amassing huge amount of illegal wealth at home and abroad by abusing power, position or any other means.
The petition also sought the HC order to conduct an inquiry into the allegation of concealing information about Golap’s wealth in his election affidavit in 2018.
The Chief Election Commissioner, Chairmen of the Anti-Corruption Commission and National Board of Revenue (NBR), Home Secretary and Golap have been made respondents to the required rule.
The lawyer submitted the petition based on a report published in an English language daily on January 16 this year under the banner of “AL MP Golap owns nine properties in New York City”.
The report said, “Awami League lawmaker Abdus Sobhan Miah Golap concealed information about being an American citizen and owning nine properties in New York City in his election affidavit in 2018, found an investigation by a global media agency, raising questions about his seat in the parliament”.
“Golap, who was given the post of central committee’s Publicity and Publication Secretary in the AL’s national council in December last year, bought the properties between 2014 and 2019, according to a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists,” also read the report.
It further said, “Of the nine properties, which cost Golap about $4 million, eight were bought with upfront cash payments. His last purchase, a semi-detached house in Jackson Heights that cost $1.18 million, was made through a small mortgage and cash in 2019, after he became an MP.”