Niko graft case: SC fixes Oct 31 for hearing Khaleda’s plea

The Supreme Court today fixed October 31 for hearing a leave to appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking a stay in the trial proceeding of Niko corruption case against her.

A full bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will hold a hearing on the petition.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique fixed the date after Khaleda's lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali prayed for fixing a date for the hearing of the petition.

ALSO READ: Khaleda files appeal at SC challenging trial at lower court

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that Khaleda Zia filed the leave to appeal petition with the SC on December 7 last year challenging a High Court verdict. The HC rejected her another petition challenging the legality of the trial proceeding of the case.

In the leave to appeal petition, Khaleda also prayed to the apex court to stay the trial proceeding of the case.

The ACC filed the case in December 2007, accusing Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

ALSO READ: Khaleda gets bail in Niko graft case

The anti-graft body pressed charges against Khaleda and 10 others in May 2008. Two months later the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case.

On June 18 last year, the HC cleared the way for the trial proceedings to resume and ordered the BNP chief to surrender before the trial court within two months after a copy of the HC verdict reached it.

Former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Kashem Sharif, vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd, are also accused in the case.