DHAKA: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) wants to face former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s energy adviser Mahmudur Rahman and former foreign minister M Morshed Khan on Niko corruption issue.

Recently, Canadian police has appealed to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to quiz the duo.

In the meantime, a video CD where RCMP grilled BNP vice-chairman Tarique Rahman’s close friend and business partner Giash Uddin-Al- Mamun has already reached at the hand of the anti graft body. 

A high level source of the ACC confirmed the matter to banglanews.

Sources said the Niko case still going on. For more investigation Canada wants to interrogate two Bangladeshi high profiles who were involved the energy sector during BNP tenure.

The RCMP plea and the video CD has come through attorney general office, added the sources.

ACC is mulling to take nod from the apex court to quiz them as the High Court has stayed the Niko case in Bangladesh.
After getting court approval, there will be no bar to query the two BNP bigwigs.

On 2008, two officers of RSMP had come Bangladesh and took depositions of some related concern including Giash Uddin Mamun

Niko Resource Ltd. does not compensate for the Tengratila gas field accident, which took place on January 7 and June 24 in 2005 in two phases.

Instead of compensation they gave bribe to some high ups of the then BNP government.

Later, ACC lodged two cases in this connection where incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former premier Khaleda Zia were charged. 

On December 9, 2007, the commission prosecuted both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia for alleged corruption in signing contracts with Niko showing an undiscovered gas field causing a loss of Tk 23,630.50 crore.

Following a writ petition filed by Khaleda, a High Court bench on July 9, 2008 stayed the proceedings of the case against her.

The High Court quashed the Niko graft case against Hasina in 2010.

BDST: 1210 HRS, JUL 7, 2014