Hearing on Niko case charge framing date fixed

A Dhaka court on Tuesday set 1 April for the next hearing on charge framing against 11 people, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, in the Niko graft case, reports UNB.

Three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia was produced before the Dhaka Special Judge court-9 in a wheelchair during the hearing.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was also present in the courtroom.

Khaleda's lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder told the court that they were not getting necessary documents.

"We didn't get the copies of documents even after your (the judge's) order. We can't prepare without those," he said.

The court, however, told him that the plea had been resolved.

Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol rejected Masud's claim, saying they had provided documents and accused the defence of raising such allegations to impede the trial process.

The court had previously fixed 19 March for the hearing.

On 9 December 2007, the ACC filed the case accusing Khaleda and four others of causing a loss of Tk 137.77 billion to the state by signing an oil-gas exploration deal with Canadian company Niko when the BNP was in office.

The anti-graft body pressed charges in court against 11 people, including Khaleda, on 5 May the next year.

The other accused in the case are -- BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain, former BAPEX general manager Mir Mainul Haq, its former secretary Shafiur Rahman, Giasuddin Al Mamun, former parliamentarian MAH Selim and former vice-president of South-Asia affairs of Niko Kashem Sharif.