Khaleda in the dock
While cross-examining the plaintiff of Zia Charitable Trust graft case yesterday, Khaleda Zia's counsel brought before a Dhaka court more than a dozen graft cases against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Khandker Mahbub Hossain told the court that not so long ago the PM stood accused in more than 15 corruption cases, including Bepza, MIG-29 purchase, Frigate purchase, Novo Theatre, Niko, Meghna Power Plant and Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.
But all the cases have been withdrawn after the Hasina-led government came to power in 2009. Most of the graft cases were filed during the tenure of the Khaleda-led government, he told the court.
An accused in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was present in the court that resumed the trial of the case yesterday.
Mentioning the names of the cases against Hasina, Mahbub asked Harun-or-Rashid, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, whether he knew about all those cases.
Harun, also plaintiff of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case, replied in the negative.
Then Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, chief public prosecutor of the case, interrupted Mahbub and said the ACC did not withdraw any of those cases filed against Hasina.
All these cases were either dismissed or quashed by the Supreme Court on different dates, he said.
So the question regarding those cases was irrelevant, Kajol said.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court-3 was seen taking notes while Mahbub was questioning the ACC deputy director.
Kajol appealed to the court not to take note of Mahbub's statement on the cases filed against Hasina.
While Kajol was placing the appeal before the judge, Mahbub brought before the court the murder case filed against Hasina in connection with the Paltan killing in October 2006.
Mahbub said the murder case was also withdrawn, and asked Harun, the ACC deputy director, if he had any knowledge of the case.
Before Harun replied, the judge termed the question irrelevant and said he would not take note of it. Then Mahbub asked Harun different questions on the graft case.
During the proceeding, Khaleda Zia was sitting on a chair with the permission of the court at Bakshibazar in the capital.
The judge recorded the statement of the witness in the case.
Later, the court adjourned the proceedings of the Zia Charitable Trust and the Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases until August 3 following an application by the defence.
The witness, Harun, denied the allegation that he acted on instructions of the government.
“I filed the case after a woman submitted a complaint about the Zia Charitable Trust graft case,” the ACC deputy director said, adding that he did not do it for harassing any of the accused, including Khaleda Zia.
In reply to a question from the defence, the witness said they had documentary evidence that Khaleda Zia collected money from different people in the name of raising funds.
Meanwhile, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, another counsel for Khaleda, pleaded unconditional apology after the judge took an initiative against one of the defence lawyers for his indecent remark about a public prosecutor.
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