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Download PDF A Dhaka court yesterday deferred the hearing on charge framing against former premier Sheikh Hasina and eight others in the Niko graft case to June 1.
Meanwhile, the cross-examination in the barge-mounted power plant graft case against Hasina and seven others continued yesterday for the fourth day with the defence asking the plaintiff whether he filed the case to undermine her politically.
Judge Amar Kumar Roy of the Special Court-2, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, fixed the date for next hearing following prayer by the defence. The defence told the judge they would not be able to take part in the hearing until they received necessary case documents.
The court asked the public prosecutors but they did not oppose and after brief arguments, the court set the new date.
The detained chief of Awami League (AL) was taken to the court around 10:05am. Other accused former power secretary Dr Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury and former state minister for power Prof Rafiqul Islam were also produced before the court.
Before the court proceedings, Hasina yesterday told her counsels it would not be possible to generate power in the country had she committed corruption.
She also said it is a world of recycling and she just gave permission to explore gas anew from the abandoned gas fields. The case is false, fabricated and politically motivated, she added.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director MM Sabbir Hasan filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9 last year. The charge sheet was submitted on May 7 accusing nine people, including Hasina, for abuse of power, office and authority in handing over three ‘abandoned’ gas fields to the Canadian oil and gas exploration company Niko.
The charges say Hasina as the then prime minister approved a Niko deal in 2001 that cost the government Tk 13.6 crore loss.
The other accused include former state minister Rafiqul Islam, former energy secretary M Akmal Hossain, former vice-president of Niko Resources Ltd Bangladesh Kashem Sharif, former chairman of Petrobangla Mosharraf Hossain and former director Syed Anwarul Haque.
POWER PLANT GRAFT CASE
During yesterday’s cross-examination, the defence asked the plaintiff whether he filed the case to undermine Hasina politically as he got the job during the tenure of BNP and was involved in Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) politics.
In response, Sabbir, also investigation officer, said, “I honour and respect the former premier as mother and I filed the cases in accordance of the rules, not being driven by emotion.”
As Hasina entered the special court-1 at 10:35am, she told reporters: “I did not commit corruption and singing a draft agreement regarding gas exploration does not account to corruption. I had only given approval for gas extraction, which did not start.”
Everything is false, fabricated and politically motivated as signing a draft does not incur a loss of thirteen thousand crore taka to the nation, she added.
The judge adjourned the trial around 1:15pm and fixed today morning for further proceedings.
During the two and a half hour trial, defence lawyer advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman asked Sabbir if the FIR statement that he had a talk with former Power Development Board (PDB) Chairman Nuruddin Mahmud Kamal over “red telephone” is false, fabricated and ill-motivated. In reply, the plaintiff said, “It’s not true.”
The defence also asked him in which year he joined ACC and who was the prime minister at that period. The plaintiff said he joined in 1995 and Khaleda Zia was the prime minister, adding that his job was confirmed in 2001.
As he was asked whether he was involved with JCD during student life, he replied, “I was not involved with any political party.”
The court told the defence they cannot ask such questions since it was a personal matter and also directed them to ask questions according to his designation.
Hasina’s counsels stated that the plaintiff filed the cases to undermine her politically and to remove her from politics, and the plaintiff replied, “It’s not true.”
The defence later told reporters the cases were conspiratorial and filed for keeping the former premier aside from elections and the people.
They also said Hasina told them there might be conspiracy over polls and that is why the people must be alert.
She also urged the party leaders and activists to remain united, they said, adding, Hasina believes the right decision about all crises would emerge from the AL extended meeting.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Forget about all these.
Tell the people how did you finance Buying expensive Houses in Uk & in USa & how your Son & sister finance themselves in Uk & USA.
So you are innocent baby.