DHAKA: The High Court is set to deliver its order any day on its long-pending rule asking the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain why the Niko graft case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others should not be quashed.
The bench comprising Justice M Nuruzzaman and Justice Jafar Ahmed passed the order in the afternoon.
After hearing the arguments from both the sides, the court, said: “Hearing concluded in the case; judgment CAV.” CAV (Curia Advisari Vult) is a Latin legal term which means the court wishes to be advised (judgment is reserved).
Lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali and Barrister Badruduza Badal placed their arguments on behalf of Khaleda Zia while on behalf of M Khurshid Alam Khan concluded placing his argument on Thursday.
In the hearing, we sought court order to continue the case proceedings in the trial court, M Khurshid Alam Khan told reporters.
Khaleda’s lawyer Ragib Ahmed Chowdhury said the court kept the judgment CAV. We will file a supplementary petition.
On April 22, the High Court started a hearing on a seven-year-old writ petition challenging the legality of Niko corruption case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
On April 7, Chief Justice SK Sinha assigned the bench to deal with Niko, Gatco and Barapukura coalmine graft cases.
The verdict on rule hearing in the Barapukura coalmine graft case was set to be delivered on April 5.
On April 2, Khaleda submitted four petitions to the chief justice through her lawyers, seeking transfer of the cases to another bench.
Later, respective bench sent the cases to the chief justice for a decision.
Of the cases, the hearing on the rule of Barapukuria coalmine graft case was ended. The High Court had fixed April 5 to pronounce its order whether it will withdraw the stay order on proceedings of Barapukuria Coalmine graft case against Khaleda Zia.
On the other hand, the hearing on rule of Boropukuria Coalmine and Gatco graft cases is going on at the same bench. The rule hearing on Gatco graft cases will be held on May 31
Niko Graft Case
On Dec 9, 2007, ACC filed the case against five people, including Khaleda, accusing them of causing loss of Tk 137.77 billion to the state exchequer by signing oil-gas exploration agreements with Niko.
Later on May 5, 2008, it submitted charges against 11 persons.
The High Court on July 9, 2008 stayed proceedings of the graft case and issued a ruling. The stay order was upheld by the Appellate Division.
GATCO graft case
On September 2, 2007, the ACC filed the GATCO corruption case during the military-installed caretaker regime against Khaleda, her youngest son Arafat Rahman Coco and 11 others.
According to the case documents, the defendants illegally awarded the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and the Dhaka's Inland Container Depot to a certain firm GATCO, causing a loss of Tk 145.64 million to the state exchequer.
On Sept 27, 2007, Khaleda and Coco filed two petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the case under the Emergency Rule Act and seeking a stay order on the trial's proceedings.
In 2008, a High Court bench issued a rule and stayed the trial's proceedings after hearing a petition of the BNP chief.
In 2008, Khaleda filed another petition challenging the legality of the case filed under the ACC Act, following which the High Court once again stayed the case's proceedings.
Barapukuria Coalmine graft case
In 2008, during a state of emergency, the anti graft body filed the case accusing ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and others, including her former 10 cabinet colleagues.
According to case statement, the government had loss about Tk 1.59 billion on the Barapukuria Coalmine deal awarded to the 2nd highest bidder CMC instead of the lowest one.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia filed a writ petition challenging the validity of filing of the case.
BDST: 2028 HRS, MAY 28, 2015
RS/SMS
