IO did not back prosecution witnesses' statements
Statements of two prosecution witnesses --Syed Abdul Kaium and Khondaker Abul Ahsan -- before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 were not corroborated by the investigation officer (IO) regarding Abdul Quader Mollah's involvement in the murder of Abu Taleb in 1971, Abdur Razzaq, a lawyer for Mollah, told the Supreme Court yesterday.
Abu Taleb, journalist, litterateur and lawyer, was killed on March 29, 1971 in Mirpur's Jalladkhana area.
Abdur Razzaq was placing arguments on the seventh day of the Appellate Division's hearing on convicted Jamaat-e-Islami leader Quader Mollah's appeal seeking acquittal in the war crimes case.
The defence counsel argued that Khondaker Abul Ahsan, son of Abu Taleb, stated before the ICT-2 that he had heard one Abdul Halim, a non-Bangalee and the then chief accountant of the daily Ittefaq, was a colleague of Abu Taleb.
According to Abul Ahsan's statement, Abdul Halim offered Taleb a lift from Shantinagar to Mirpur. But on the way Halim handed over Taleb to Mollah and his accomplices, Razzaq said.
Prosecution witness Syed Abdul Kaium told the tribunal that he heard from one Khalilur Rahman and Taleb's driver Nizam that Halim had handed over Taleb to Quader Mollah and some non-Bangalees, including Aktar Gunda and Hakka Gunda, to kill him (Taleb), Razzaq said.
However, the IO of the case has stated before the ICT-2 that Kaium did not tell him that Halim handed over Taleb to Quader Mollah, Aktar Gunda and Hakka Gunda to kill him (Taleb), Razzaq argued.
The ICT-2 on February 5 awarded life term imprisonment to Mollah. The apex court fixed today for further hearing on the case.
Comments