DHAKA, Dec 9, 2018 (BSS) – A Dhaka court today set January 3 for holding hearing on whether to accept reports of US intelligence agency FBI and Canadian police in the Niko graft case.
The court will also hold hearing on objections raised by the defence against that plea on that day, asking all the 11 accused to appear before the court on that day.
Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Sheikh Hafizur Rahman passed the order today.
“The investigation reports from FBI and Canadian police came to attorney general’s office on November 22. Both the reports proved the allegation of bribery in the case,” Anti-Corruption Counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kazal said.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five including Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station on December 9, 2007 for abusing power to pen a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.
The ACC on May 5, 2008, submitted the charge-sheet against 11 people including Khaleda Zia.
Accepting a petition filed by Khaleda Zia, the HC on July 9, 2008, stayed the case proceedings and issued the rule.
The High Court on June 18, 2015, passed an order paving way for continuation of the graft case against the BNP leader before the trial court.
The court had also asked the BNP chief to surrender before the concerned trial court within two months.
But following a fresh petition of Khaleda Zia, the High Court on March 7, 2017, again stayed the proceedings of the case.