Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC, lawyer, Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, has expressed his satisfaction, saying that justice has been delivered with culprits receiving their deserved punishment.

The judge in his verdict said the example Khaleda Zia had set being at the highest position of power, is in no way acceptable, Kajol told journalists after the verdict was pronounced on Monday.

Judge Dr Akhtaruzzaman of the special court -5, established within the administrative building of the old central jail, announced the verdict in which BNP chief Khaleda Zia has been sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Three others accused in the case— Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to the then PM Khaleda, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) to Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS to former Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka were also sentenced to seven years for their involvement in the Charitable Trust graft.

The court also slapped a fine of Tk. 1 million to all four of the accused. Kajol said Khaldea Zia abused power as prime minister and collected funds for the trust illegally with the collusion of Harris Chowdhury, Ziaul Islam Munna and Monirul Islam Khan.

Evidence has been found that Khaleda lied about getting funds from an organisation called, Metro Maker, he said.

In the documents it was showed that Metro Makers donated Tk. 1.35 crore to the trust, but the company in its deposition said they did not donate any money.

The court gave 15 observations and, in the verdict, it sent a message that law is equally applicable for whoever is and was in power.

The court also confiscated 42 katha of land in Kakrail owned by the trust, he added.

About the observations, he said the court looked into whether Khaleda abused her power or not, if the money was donated to the Zia Charitable account or not, the manner in which the money was collected, the usage of Khaleda’s residence address at Mainul Hossain Road when forming the trust, the account at Trust Bank and, whether she hid her identity as prime minister or not plus other issues.