Depositions conclude
A Dhaka court yesterday concluded recording statements of witnesses in the much-talked-about radar purchase graft case filed against former president and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad and three others.
Judge Abdur Rashid of the Special Divisional Court, Dhaka passed the concluding order on completion of cross-examination of Abdus Sattar Sarkar, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission and also investigation officer in the case.
The other accused are former air chiefs Sultan Mahmud and Mamtazuddin Ahmed and AKM Musa, director of United Traders Ltd.
Of them, Musa has been absconding since the case was filed. Sultan and Mamtaz, now on bail, were present at the court yesterday, while advocate Sheikh Serajul Islam represented Ershad.
The High Court cleared the way for trial of the case on August 8, 2006 after proceedings had been stayed for a long time. The trial resurfaced on November 2, 2010 after the case had been filed 22 years ago.
The now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption filed the case against Ershad and four others with Cantonment police on May 4, 1992. Abdus Sattar Sarkar, a former BAC official, pressed charges against Ershad and four others on October 27, 1994.
According to the prosecution, Ershad in collusion with others had allegedly caused a loss of Tk 64.04 crore to the state exchequer by purchasing radars from the US instead of France for the air force while he was in power.
The court framed charges against Ershad and three others on August 12, 1995.
The government later withdrew charges against another accused Shahazad Ali, a director of United Traders Ltd.
Ershad was accused in 21 cases including several graft cases after he was ousted from power in 1990.
He has so far been acquitted and discharged from 18 cases as the prosecution failed to prove the charges brought against him.
Three other cases including the one for murder of Maj Gen Manzur are still pending with the court.
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