Decision on Khaleda’s Niko case proceedings any day

Staff Correspondent: The High Court will deliver its decision any day whether the trial proceedings of Niko corruption case against of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia continue at the lower court.

The HC ended hearing on a writ petition filed by Khaleda and said it will deliver verdict on the petition after its reopening following the upcoming vacation.

The bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Zafar Ahmed kept the verdict pending after hearing the arguments of both sides on Thursday.  

Khaleda`s lawyer A J Mohammad Ali and Barrister Mohammad Badruddoza Badal said Khokon moved the case. Besides, Advocate Md. Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC.
 
Khurshid Alam said that we ended the hearing and appealed to continue the case.

On April 8, Chief Justice formed a new bench for the hearing of four cases of Khaleda Zia.

On July 9, 2008, the HC stayed the case proceedings and issued a rule upon the ACC and the government to explain why the initiation and proceedings of the case against her should not be declared illegal.

Three other pleas by the BNP chief in 2008 challenging the legality of the proceedings of Barapukuria coalmine and Gatco corruption cases are pending with the same HC bench.

The ACC on December 9, 2007 filed the Niko graft case against Khaleda and four others in connection with a Tk.13,777 crore loss of the national exchequer caused by the signing of an oil-gas exploration agreement with Niko during the previous BNP regime.

Later, on May 5, 2008, it submitted charges against 11 persons.

risingbd/Dhaka/May 28, 2015/Mehedi/Nasim