Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka's Special Judge's Court-4 on Wednesday said BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was wrongly accused to harass her politically in Naiko graft case as she has no involvement in any corruption, reports BSS.
“Even she didn't even abuse her power,” he said orally while giving observation in the Niko graft case verdict acquitting Khaleda Zia and eight others.
In his observation, Alam said the agreement was made with Niko during the time of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "A case was filed in the name of Sheikh Hasina regarding Niko's corruption. The case was later dismissed. Then a case was filed in the name of Khaleda Zia. Khaleda Zia did not commit any corruption. She did not even abuse her power. Therefore, eight accused including Khaleda Zia were acquitted of the case," he said.
The others who were acquitted are - the then Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former energy and mineral resources acting secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, former general manager of Bapex Mir Moynul Haque, businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun, chairman of International Travel Corporation Selim Bhuiyan and Niko's Vice President for South Asia Kashem Sharif.
On December 9, 2007, Muhammad Mahbubul Alam, the then assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), filed a case against Khaleda Zia and five others at Tejgaon Police Station.
The case was filed on charges of causing financial loss to the state through an obscure agreement with the Canadian company Niko.
Then, on May 5 in 2018, a charge-sheet was filed in the court against 11 others, including Khaleda Zia. It accused them of causing financial loss to the state of about Taka 13,777 crore.
On March 19, 2023, Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka Number-9 (Temporary) Special Judge Court located at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj framed the charges against the accused.
The other seven accused in the case are Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, then-Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former acting secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources, former senior assistant secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, former general manager of Bapex Mir Mainul Haque, businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun, chairman of International Travel Corporation Selim Bhuiyan and vice president of South Asia affairs of Niko Kashem Sharif.
On the other hand, BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain and former secretary of Bapex Md. Shafiur Rahman have been discharged from the case due to their deaths.
Out of 68 witnesses, 39 testimonies were taken during the trial of the case.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
