Niko graft case against Khaleda Zia, 7 others charge hearing 12 Sept

Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court yesterday fixed September 12 for hearing on charge framing in Niko graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven others.

Tuesday (August 22) was earlier fixed for indictment hearing, but Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder filed an application in the morning seeking adjournment of the hearing.

Accepting the plea filed by the BNP Chief’s lawyer Masud Ahmed, Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of the Special Judge Court-9 at the Dhaka Central Jail of Keraniganj fixed the new date.

Begum Khaleda Zia’s another lawyer Zia Uddin Zia confirmed the matter to the media.

The other seven accused in the case are Kamal Uddin Siddique, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former Acting Energy Secretary, CM Yousuf Hossain, former Senior Assistant Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department, Meer Moynul Haque, former Senior General Manager of Bapex, former Secretary of Bapex, Giasuddin Al Mamun, Managing Director of One Group, Selim Bhuiyan, Chairman and Managing Director of International Travel Corporation, and Kashem Sharif, Vice President (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Limited.

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