ZCZC
BSS-05
HEARING-NIKO-KHALEDA
Indictment hearing in Niko graft case deferred till April 23
DHAKA, April 10, 2019 (BSS) – A court here today again adjourned the
hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case against BNP chairperson Begum
Khaleda Zia and others.
Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka 9th special judge court passed the
order, setting April 23 to hold hearing on charge framing.
Today was set for holding hearing on charge framing, but the jail
authorities couldn’t produce Khaleda Zia before court as she is undergoing
treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five including
Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station on December 9, 2007, for abusing
power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and
extracting gas.
The ACC on May 5, 2008, submitted charge-sheet against 11 people including
Khaleda Zia. The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than Taka 13
thousand crore of state exchequer by that deal.
Khaleda is now behind bars after getting convicted in Zia Orphanage Trust
graft case on February 8, 2018. She was sentenced to five-year imprisonment,
which later enhanced to 10 by the High Court.
Khaleda was also sentenced to seven years imprisonment in Zia Charitable
Trust graft case.
BSS/CORR/MHR/GMR/1219 hrs