DHAKA, Nov 2, 2023 (BSS) - A Dhaka court today allowed a plea of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), permitting two members of Royal Canadian Mounted Police to testify afresh in Niko graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and seven others.

Kevin Duggan and Liyod Skuip submitted their testimonies on October 30 and were cross-examined by the prosecution later. The ACC however, filed the plea on October 31 to record their testimonies afresh.

Dhaka Special Judge's Court-9 on September 17, 2023, allowed a prosecution plea to produce three foreigners including a former FBI agent to testify in the case.

Earlier on October 19, the court summoned the two Canadian men to appear on October 30 and testify in the case.

The court on March 19, 2023, framed charges against the eight accused. 

Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now on bail, pleaded not guilty through her lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder on that day and demanded justice.

The other accused in the case are- Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Eusuf Hossain, Mir Moinul Haque, Gias Uddin Al Mamun, Selim Bhuiyan and Kashem Sharif.

The anti-graft body filed the case against five including Begum Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station on December 9, 2007, for abusing power in signing 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. The ACC accused them of causing the incurring a loss of more than Taka 13 thousand crore to state exchequer by signing that deal.

As the three accused-Barrister Moudud Ahmed, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, and Md Shafiur Rahman died of natural causes, they were discharged from the case, leaving the eight other accused to face the justice.