Zia Charitable Trust: Khaleda's lawyers again grill graft case investigator

Khaleda Zia’s lawyers have gotten the chance to again question the investigating officer of the graft case on Zia Charitable Trust.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 8 June 2017, 10:45 AM
Updated : 8 June 2017, 10:45 AM

The lawyers for the BNP chairperson began cross-examining Harunur Rashid, assistant director at the Anti-Corruption Commission, on Thursday.

Dhaka Special Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman then scheduled the next hearing for this case for Jun 15.

The court will also be hearing the Zia Orphanage Trust case on Jun 15, another ACC case that accuses the former prime minister of embezzling charity funds.      

Khaleda was scheduled to make a defence statement on this day, for which she appeared in the special court set up in Old Dhaka’s Bakshibazar.

But instead of resuming her defence statement, Khaleda’s lawyers pleaded to again cross-examine six witnesses, including the case’s investigation officer. 

“This is a ploy to elongate the case’s hearing. They have assumed the outcome and are attempting to evade justice,” said ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal against the defence’s plea.   

The judge allowed the cross-examination of the case’s investigation officer but turned down the defence’s plea to question five other witnesses.

Khaleda’s lawyers then immediately began grilling ACC Assistant Director Harunur Rashid.

The Zia Charitable Trust graft case was filed by the ACC in 2010 against the BNP chief and three others for embezzlement of Tk 31.5 million.

The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed in 2008. The ACC case accuses Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of embezzling Tk 21 million.