Niko corruption case: Verdict against Khaleda sheduled for Feb 19
Staff Reporter :
The court has set February 19 for the verdict in the Niko corruption case involving BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven other accused individuals.
Judge Robiul Alam of the Special Judge Court-4 in Dhaka scheduled the date for the verdict on Thursday (February 13).
On that day, the accused were expected to present their defense and arguments. Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Aminul Islam attended the hearing on her behalf.
After the defense and arguments were presented, the court set the date for delivering the verdict.
Earlier on January 29, the court completed recording the testimonies in the case. Of the 68 witnesses, 39 were examined.
Following this, the court scheduled February 13 for the accused to present their defense under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Abdul Hannan Bhuiyan, a member of Khaleda Zia’s legal team, confirmed this information.
The trial in this case officially began on March 19, 2023, when the court framed charges against the accused. Khaleda Zia subsequently filed a petition in the High Court challenging the legality of the charge framing.
On August 30, 2023, a High Court bench, led by Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam, rejected her petition.
On September 12, 2023, the plaintiff, Mahbubul Alam, testified in the case. Later, on October 30 and 31 of the same year, two members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Kevin Duggan and Lloyd Shoep, testified in the case.
The other accused in this case are: former Chief Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique, former General Manager of BAPEX Mir Moinul Haque, Vice President of Niko for South Asia Kassem Sharif, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Khondkar Shahidul Islam, former Senior Assistant Secretary CM Yusuf Hossain, businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun, and former Member of Parliament for Bagerhat MAH Selim. Among them, the first three are absconding.
Meanwhile, the court exonerated former Law Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former Energy Minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, and former BAPEX Secretary Md Shafiqul Rahman from the charges, as they have passed away.
According to the case details, on December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Khaleda Zia in Tejgaon Police Station. After investigation, on May 5, 2008, the ACC submitted a charge sheet in the court naming Khaleda Zia and 11 others.
Khaleda Zia, convicted in two other cases filed by the ACC, was imprisoned in the Old Central Jail on Nazimuddin Road starting February 8, 2018. She was later moved to BSMMU Hospital for medical treatment, where she was released under a government executive order.
On January 7, 2023, Khaleda Zia traveled to the UK for advanced medical treatment, where she is currently receiving care.