A court in Dhaka today (May 23) started the trial of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven others in Niko graft case through recording deposition.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Mahbubul Alam gave his statement before Dhaka Special Judge's Court-9 Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman.
The court recorded a part his statement. Later, the judge then fixed June 20 for recording the rest of the statement of the complainant in the case.
Earlier on May 17, Khaleda Zia filed a petition with the High Court seeking the cancellation of a charge framing order against her in Niko graft case.
On March 19 this year, Judge of Dhaka Special Court-9 Sheikh Hafizur Rahman framed charges against Khaleda and seven others in Niko graft case.
The court then set May 23 for recording depositions of the witnesses.
ACC on December 9, 2007, filed the case against five including Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon Police Station, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.
The ACC on May 5 in 2008 submitted the charge-sheet against 11 people including Khaleda Zia.
The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than Taka 13 thousand crore of state exchequer by that deal.
The other accused in the case are AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former state minister for energy, Kamal Uddin Siddique, former principal secretary to prime minister, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former acting energy secretary, CM Yousuf Hossain, former senior assistant secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department, Meer Moynul Haque, former senior general manager of Bapex, Shafiur Rahman, former secretary of Bapex, Giasuddin Al Mamun, managing director of One Group, Selim Bhuiyan, chairman and managing director of International Travel Corporation, and Kashem Sharif, vice president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd.
Meanwhile, three of the accused– Barrister Moudud Ahmed, who was in the BNP standing committee, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former state minister for energy, and Md Shafiru Rahman, for secretary of the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) – died and the charges against them were dropped.
BDST: 1552 HRS, MAY 23, 2023
MN/SMS
