Verdict in gold smuggling case against Ershad on Sept 6
The verdict of a case filed about 16 years back against former president and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on charge of gold smuggling will be delivered on September 6.
Judge Abul Bashar of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court set the date yesterday after completion of arguments from the prosecution and the defence.
Earlier, the verdict of the case was adjourned six times on different excuses.
The newly appointed judge on June 12 took up the case for arguments again as he did not know about it in detail.
During yesterday's arguments, the prosecution told the court that they sought highest punishment to the accused as there was sufficient evidence to punish him.
On the other hand, the defence lawyers sought acquittal of Ershad, as according to them, there was no evidence against their client.
Ershad accompanied by his party leaders and activists was present at the court during the hearing.
Earlier, the court recorded statements of eight prosecution witnesses including the complainant and investigation officer (IO) of the case.
A team of customs officials held four people including two foreign nationals at Zia International Airport on July 17, 1990, when they were attempting to smuggle around 3.6 kgs of gold worth about Tk 2.5 crore into Bangladesh, the prosecution said.
A case was filed against the four-- Bernhard Rudiger of Germany, David Anthony Chalmar Chaker of England, the then manager of the Zia International Airport Major (retd) Ashraf Uddin Sekender and Abu Taher, an airport security guard, with the Cantonment police station the same day.
During the investigation, the IO found evidence of Ershad's involvement in the smuggling and his name was included in the charge sheet on August 31, 1991.
The trial against Ershad did not start following a High Court (HC) stay order.
He was also acquitted and discharged of four graft cases in August and September last year after his announcement of joining the four-party alliance.
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