Khaleda files appeal for a halt to trial

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court for scrapping the trial proceedings of Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against her.

Khaleda filed the leave to appeal petition challenging a High Court verdict, which in September last year cleared the way for a lower court to run the trial proceedings in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Khaleda's counsel AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who submitted the leave to appeal petition, told The Daily Star that his client was not involved in any corruption.

Citing from the petition, he said the then deputy director of ACC Monirul Hoque, who was the first investigation officer, submitted a final report to the commission on June 1, 2008 exempting the accused from the charges as their offence was not found in the investigation.

Police submitted a charge sheet before a court on October 5, 2008, against Khaleda and 15 others, Mahbub said, adding that under the ACC law, there is no scope for further investigation into a corruption case if a final report is submitted earlier.

The lawyer said the apex court would later fix a date for hearing Khaleda's petition.

Earlier on September 17, 2015, the HC rejected a writ petition of the BNP chief filed in 2008 challenging the legality of trial proceedings in the case.

On May 25 this year, the HC released its full judgement directing the trial court to proceed with the case in accordance with the law. The court also vacated its 2008 stay order on the case proceedings.

The ACC accuses the former prime minister and 15 others of causing a loss of Tk 158 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company between June 2003 and June 2005, abusing power.