Khaleda gets bail in Niko graft case

Staff Correspondent: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has got bail after she surrendered before a Dhaka court on Monday noon in connection with Niko graft case.

The Special Judge Court-9 granted her bail and ordered to hear the case on December 28.

The BNP chairperson left her Gulshan residence around 11.15am and reached the court premises around 12.15am.

The High Court on June 18 cleared the way for trial proceedings to resume in the case against Khaleda.

It also ordered the BNP chief to surrender before the trial court within two months after its verdict reaches the trial court.

The court gave the order rejecting Khaleda`s petition that had challenged the legality of the opening and proceeding of the case filed eight years ago.

The HC also directed the trial court to consider the former Prime Minister`s bail petition, on condition that she did not misuse the bail.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case in December 2007 over charges that Khaleda and several others abused power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was Prime Minister between 2001 and 2006.

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, were also sued in the case.

risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 30, 2015/Jisan/Mukul