Niko graft case against Khaleda: Defense quizzes complainant

The defense for BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia Tuesday started cross-examining ACC Deputy Director Muhammad Mahbubul Alam, who is also the complainant of the Niko graft case.

Counsel Aminul Islam cross-examined the complainant on different points for over two hours.

As the lawyer could not complete the cross-examination, Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Special Judge Court-9 of Dhaka fixed October 16 for next hearing of the case.

Earlier, the same court recorded statement of the complainant and later the defense for four other accused, now on bail, cross-examined him on different dates.

The court on September 17 allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to produce an official of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and two officials of Royal Canadian Mounted Police as witnesses in the case.

The officials are Debra LaPrevotte Griffith of FBI and Kelvin Duggan and Lloyd Schoepp of Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The ACC, however, did not take any steps for producing them in the court, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin was present during Tuesday’s hearing.

Khaleda Zia’s personal appearance was earlier exempted and advocate Ziauddin Zia represented her in the court in her absence.

Khaleda Zia is now ill and was earlier admitted to Evercare Hospital for treatment.

She got out of the jail following an executive order of the Ggovernment.

On March 19, the same court framed charges against Khaleda Zia and others.

Four others - former Acting Secretary for Energy Ministry Khondaker Shahidul Islam, its former Senior Assistant Secretary CM Yusuf Hussain, and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s friend businessman Giausuddin Al Mamun and former Dhaka Club President Selim Bhuiyan are now on bail and were present at the court on Tuesday.

Three others, including former Principal Secretary to the former Prime Minister, Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, are still on the run.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case in December 2007, accusing Khaleda Zia and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was Prime Minister between 2001 and 2006.

Three of the accused in the case- including former State Minister for Energy and BNP leader AKM Mosharraf Hossain and former law minister Moudud Ahmed died earlier. Their names were dropped from the case.

BNP Chief Khaleda Zia, who stands as accused in 33 other cases, was convicted on different terms of punishment in two other cases, including the Zia Charitable Trust graft case. - Special Correspondent