Khaleda files writ petition challenging Gatco case

Detained former premier Khaleda Zia yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the legality of the Gatco corruption case against her.
The HC bench of Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Mashuque Hosain Ahmed may hear the petition on Sunday.
In the petition, Khaleda said the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) did not maintain the due legal procedure in giving permission to file the case against her.
She prayed to the HC for staying the case proceedings and issuing a rule upon the government and the ACC to show cause as to why the case proceedings should not be quashed.
The commission filed the case against Khaleda and 22 others on September 2 last year on charges of corruption in awarding Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) the contract for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong causing a loss of over Tk 1,000 crore to the state exchequer.
Later, the case was brought under the Emergency Power Rules.
The case is pending with the special judge's court-3 at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex.
Earlier, Khaleda filed a petition with the Supreme Court on July 6 for staying the hearing on charge framing in the case.