A court in Dhaka again adjourned the hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case against BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia and others.
Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka 9th special judge court passed the order, setting Apr 10 to hold hearing on charge framing, reports state news agency BSS.
Monday (Apr 1) was set for holding hearing on charge framing, but the jail authorities couldn’t produce Khaleda Zia before court, sending custody warrant instead, saying the BNP chief is sick.
The court on earlier occasion, expressed its displeasure over the repeated adjournment, adding, “Hearing on charge framing in this case is going on for long four years.”
The court had said it would pass order if the defence failed to hold hearing on charge framing on the next day (Apr 1).
The Anti-Corruption Commission stared the case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda and 10 others in 2007 during the military-controlled caretaker government.
They stand accused of causing the exchequer a loss of around Tk 137.77 billion by abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko during her 2001-06 prime ministerial tenure.
The others accused in the case are former minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, former general manager of BAPEX Mir Moinul Haque, former BAPEX secretary Md Shafiur Rahman , businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun, former president of Dhaka Club Selim Bhuiyan, and Niko vice-president for South Asia Kashem Sharif.
The special court has recently been shifted inside the old jailhouse on Nazimuddin Road where Khaleda is serving 17 years in two other corruption cases.