Khaleda not to appear before court Sunday

Staff Correspondent: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is not going to appear before a special judge’s court tomorrow (Sunday) in Niko corruption case due to SSC exams.

Sanaullah Mia, a counsel for Khaleda, confirmed this to risingbd on Saturday evening.

She will appear before the court at the date set for the next hearing, the lawyer said.

Earlier on March 23, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the lower court concerned to resume the trial proceedings against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Niko corruption case.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha scrapped a High Court order that stayed the trial proceedings of the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (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.

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.

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


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 3, 2018/Mamun Khan/AI