Indictment hearing in Khaleda’s Niko graft case 19 Jan

A Dhaka court on Tuesday set 19 January to hold a hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case against Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and others, reports news agency BSS.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka 9th special judge court passed the order this morning at the newly built courtroom in front of Keraniganj Central Jail.

Today was fixed for holding hearing on charge framing in the case, but prime accused Begum Khaleda Zia failed to appear before the court on health ground and made her lawyers to plead for time.

Allowing the defence plea, the court then adjourned the hearing till 19 January.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five including Begum Khaleda Zia with Tejgaon police station in the capital on 9 December 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.

The ACC on 5 May 2008, submitted the charge sheet against 11 including Khaleda Zia.

The ACC accused them of incurring a loss of more than T 130 billion of state exchequer by that deal.