Gatco Graft Case: Hearing on charge framing Jan 16

A Dhaka court yesterday directed BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 16 others to appear before it on January 16 for the hearing on charge framing in connection with Gatco corruption case.

Judge Abu Syed Diljar Hossain of Special Judge Court- 3 of Dhaka passed the order.

Earlier, Anti-Corruption Commission's Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol submitted a petition seeking permission to produce Khaleda Zia, now on bail in the case, before the court on January 16.

In his petition, the lawyer said a production warrant should be issued against the BNP chief, as she has been in jail since February 8 last year following her convictions in Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

After the hearing, the court granted the petition and directed the jail authorities to produce Khaleda before it on January 16. 

BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and three others filed time petitions and did not attend the hearing, while Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder represented Khaleda Zia in her absence.

Twelve others including BNP leader Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain were present.  

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2, 2007 against Khaleda, Galib Tanveer and several others on charges of misappropriating Tk 1,000 crore while dealing with Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Company Ltd (Gatco).

On May 13 of 2008, the ACC pressed charges against Khaleda and 23 others.

Meanwhile, seven of the accused, including Khaleda's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, were dropped from the charge sheet following their deaths on different dates.