ACC to revive 2 cases against Khaleda

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has moved to revive two more corruption cases pending against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. 

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan yesterday prayed to the High Court for the hearing on a rule it issued in 2008 over the legality of filing Niko corruption case against Khaleda.

The bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan fixed today for inclusion of the rule in its hearing list.

In response to the lawyer's another prayer, the same bench yesterday included in its hearing list another rule issued in 2008 over the legality of Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against the BNP chief.

On February 4, the HC had included in its hearing list two rules regarding the legality of Gatco graft case filed against the former prime minister.

The ACC filed the Niko graft case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9, 2007. It accused Khaleda and several others of abusing power while she was the prime minister to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko.

Following a writ petition filed by Khaleda, the HC on July 9, 2008 stayed the case and issued the rule upon the ACC and the government to explain why the initiation and proceedings of the case against her should not be declared illegal.

The HC on October 16, 2008 stayed the proceedings against her in Barapukuria coalmine corruption case and issued a rule upon the government and the ACC to show cause as to why the proceedings against her in the case should not be quashed.

The ACC filed the case on February 26 the same year accusing Khaleda and others of causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operating Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power.

The anti-graft watchdog filed the Gatco graft case against the BNP chief, her son Arafat Rahman Koko, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Matiur Rahman Nizami, and 21 others with Tejgaon Police Station in 2007 on charges of corruption in awarding Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) a contract for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The graft caused the state exchequer a loss of over Tk 1,000 crore.

On September 30, 2007, the HC granted Khaleda bail in the case and issued a rule upon the government and ACC to explain why bringing the charges under the Emergency Power Rules should not be declared illegal.

Following another petition, the court on July 15, 2008 stayed the proceedings of the case against her and issued another rule upon the government and anti-graft watchdog to explain why the proceedings should not be quashed.