Ershad’s radar scam: SC upholds HC order on trial time limit
The Supreme Court today upheld until its further order a High Court directive that asked the lower court concerned to finish the trial proceedings of 24-year-old radar purchase scam case filed against Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad by March 31.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Nizamul Huq did not pass any order on an appeal filed by former air chief Sultan Mahmud, also an accused in the case, challenging the HC order.
The chamber judge also sent the appeal to the full bench of the apex court for its hearing on January 2 next year.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the HC order will remain in force until the SC passes any order on the appeal of Mahmud.
Yesterday, Mahmud submitted the leave-to-appeal petition to the Appellate Division through his lawyer Syed Mahbubur Rahman, claiming that the HC passed the order without hearing his arguments.
Following an ACC petition, the HC on November 24 directed the trial court to finish the trial proceedings by March 31.
Earlier, the lower court had recorded statements of 12 witnesses.
It can record statements of the case's remaining 26 prosecution witnesses if they are produced within this period, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan said in the order.
The now-defunct Bureau of Anti Corruption filed the case against Ershad and three others with cantonment police on May 4, 1992. Ershad in collusion with others 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, said the case statement.
On August 12, 1995, the trial court framed charges against Ershad, former air chiefs Sultan Mahmud and Mamtazuddin Ahmed, and United Traders Ltd director AKM Musa. Musa has been absconding since then.
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