Court orders Aug 31 Khaleda appearance over Zia Charitable Trust corruption charges

A Dhaka court has ordered BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on Aug 31 to submit her self-defence statement in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar of Special Judge Court-3 on Thursday fixed the date after approving her plea for more time, sought for the ninth time.
 
The judge, however, said it is a ‘must’ that the former prime minister appear before court on that day.
 
Her lawyer Sanaullah Mia said they had pleaded for more time as their leave-to-appeal seeking a halt to the case and re-interrogation of the investigation officer is still pending at the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
 
Also, Khaleda was physically weak to make it to the court to submit her self-defence statement, he added.
 
Abdur Rezak Khan, another lawyer for Khaleda, represented her in court while lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal argued the case for the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
 
The ACC on Aug 8, 2011 prosecuted Khaleda and three others for embezzling Tk 31.5 million of the charity.
 
The other accused are Khaleda's former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, Ziaul Islam Munna, acting director of BIWTA’s Marine Safety and Traffic Management, and Monirul Islam Khan, who was a personal secretary to former Dhaka City mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
 
Of them, Harris is on the run, while Munna and Khan have submitted their self-defence statements in court.
 
The chargesheet against the four was submitted on Jan 16, 2012 and the court framed charges against them on Mar 19, 2014.
 
The Special Judge Court-3 is also trying Khaleda in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
 
In this case, the former premier is accused of embezzling Tk 21 million from funds meant for the Trust, which reportedly came from a foreign bank.