DHAKA: A Dhaka court set December 21 for further hearing on Zia Orphanage and Charitable Trust graft cases against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and others.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar of the Special Judge's Court-3 setup on Alia Madrasa premises at Bakshibazar in city fixed the date on Thursday.
Khaleda Zia skipped Thursday’s hearing again in the Zia trust graft case on health ground.
On the day, defense lawyers cross-examined Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) assistant director Nazmul Ahsan (26th witness) in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
Khaleda’s lawyer advocate Abdur Rezzak Khan testified the 26th witness.
Besides, four new witnesses gave their deposition in the case. They are Sonali Bank head office DGM Abdul Gafur, AGM MA Harun-or-Rashid, Mirpur industrial area branch manager Harun-or-Rashid Fakir and Sonali Bank GM Amin Uddin Ahmed.
Then, the court set December 21 for cross-examination of the new witness and recording deposition of next witnesses.
The court will record the statement of ACC deputy director Harun-or-Rashid, also investigating officer of the case, on next hearing date (December 21).
The court also fixed December 14 for recording deposition of witness and cross-examination on the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case as an application of the defense seeking 'leave to appeal' pending at the High Court.
Zia Orphanage Trust Graft Case
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating Tk over 2.10-crore, which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.
The other accused are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Saleemul Haque, businessperson Sharfuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Momenur Rahman.
Zia Charitable Trust Graft Case
On August 8, 2011, ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
The other accused in the case are Harris Chowdhury, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, Monirul Islam Khan and APS to Sadeque Hossain Khoka, mayor of the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation.
BDST: 1455 HRS, DEC 10, 2015
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