After FIFA imposed a fine on the Bangladesh Football Federation in the previous year, the Bangladesh Supreme Court chamber judge today (Sunday) upheld a High Court direction that requested the authorities responsible to launch an investigation into charges of corruption relating government finance against certain executives of the Bangladesh Football Federation.
At the same time, however, Justice Md Abu Jafor Siddique, a chamber justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, imposed a status quo on a portion of the High Court’s judgment that required the authorities to investigate the charges of corruption related FIFA’s money that were brought against them.
Following the filing of a plea for permission to appeal against the ruling of the high court by BFF, its president Kazi Salahuddin, and its vice president and finance committee chairman Abdus Salam Murshedy, the supreme court chamber judge ultimately decided to pass the order.
Khurshid Alam Khan, a lawyer for the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), informed The Daily Star that Justice Abu Jafor Siddique has also sent the petition requesting permission to appeal to the full bench of the Appellate Division. The hearing for this motion is scheduled to take place on July 9.
On May 15, the High Court issued an order directing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the Bangladesh Bank, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and the Youth and Sports Ministry to investigate the allegations of corruption leveled against the officials concerned with the BFF and to present the investigation reports to the court within four months.
In addition, the High Court issued a rule that asked the respondents to provide an explanation as to why their failure to investigate these claims should not be seen to be in violation of the law.