ZCZC
BSS-05
INDICTMENT-HEARING-NIKO
Indictment hearing in Khaleda’s Niko graft case Mar 2
DHAKA, Feb 16, 2021 (BSS) – A court here today set March 2 to hold a
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 this morning at the newly built courtroom in front of Keraniganj
Central Jail.
Today was fixed for holding hearing on charge framing in the case, but
prime accused Begum Khaleda Zia failed to appear before the court on health
ground and made her lawyers plead for time.
Allowing the defence plea, the court then adjourned the hearing till March
2.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five including
Begum Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station on December 9 in 2007, for
abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and
extracting gas.
The ACC on May 5 in 2008, submitted the charge-sheet against 11 including
Khaleda Zia.
The other accused in the case are BNP standing committee member Barrister
Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, then
principal secretary to the prime minister Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former acting
secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Khandaker Shahidul
Islam, former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, Former Bapex
general manager Mir Moinul Haque, former Bapex secretary Mohammad Shafiur
Rahman, businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun, former Bagerhat MP MAH Selim and
Niko’s vice president for South Asia Kashem Sharif.
The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than Taka 13 thousand
crore of state exchequer by that deal.
BSS/CORR/RQ/GMR/1224 hrs