BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has asked her counsel why the petition for acquittal in the Niko graft case has not yet been filed with the court.
Her query came on Tuesday (Mar 19) after her indictment hearing in the case was deferred once more at the defendant’s request.
Khaleda’s is being tried for causing the state a loss of Tk 137.77 billion through a non-transparent and corrupt contract with Niko during the BNP regime.
Her trial is being held at the make-shift Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 on the premises of the old jail house where she is serving time.
The former premier’s counsel claimed during the hearing that they are yet to receive the documents of the case and the indictment hearing can’t take place unless they do so and pleader for more time.
Her lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder said that the records have been seized as evidence and that they have petitioned to access them in the prescribed form as per the court’s directive.
In response to that Mosharraf Hossain who argued for the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) said that the necessary documents have been provided.
“And you can see the rest of the documents when we file it with the court during the next hearing. Besides, the rest of the accused have already been indicted,” he added.
The judge then said that Khaleda’s counsel have failed to file the application for acquittal in the four years that the hearing has been going on and added, “I have already disposed off your documents.”
Khaleda’s other counsel AJM Mohammad Ali then moved the court to defer the hearing date.
The court fixed Apr 1 as the next hearing date saying that charges must be framed on that day.
On Dec 9, 2007, graft watchdog ACC filed the graft case with Tejgaon police station accusing Khaleda Zia and 10 others of abusing power by awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko, during her time in office as prime minister.
The commission submitted the charge sheet against the accused on May 5, 2008.
Others accused in the case are former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, and Kashem Sharif, vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd.
A three-time prime minister Khaleda is already serving a 10 year time for her involvement in the in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and seven year term for embezzling donations made to Zia Charitable Trust.