Ershad acquitted in gold smuggling case

FE Team | Published: September 19, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Former president and Jatiya Party Chairman H M Ershad has been acquitted in the gold smuggling case filed 16 years back, reports UNB.
First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Abul Bashar pronounced the verdict Tuesday.
Earlier, the judgment was adjourned for seven times on different excuses.
According to the prosecution, a team of customs officials held four people including two foreign nationals from Zia International Airport on July 17, 1990 when they were attempting to smuggle around 3,000 tolas of gold worth about Tk 25 million (2.5 crore) into Bangladesh.
A smuggling case was filed with the Cantonment Police Station the same day against the four -- Bernhard Rudiger of Germany, David Anthony Chalmar Chaker of England, the then manager of the Zia International Airport Ashraf Uddin Sekender and Abu Taher, an airport security guard.
During the investigation, the investigation officer (IO) found evidence of Ershad's involvement in the smuggling and his name was included in the supplementary charge sheet on August 31, 1991.
The court observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge against Ershad and thus he was acquitted.
Bernard, David, Ashraf and Taher were convicted and awarded different terms of imprisonment on May 14, 1992.
The trial against Ershad did not start due to a High Court stay order.
Another Dhaka court on January 17 this year freed Ershad from serving out the sentence given by the High Court on December 14 last year in connection with a case concerning purchase of Japanese boats.
He was also acquitted and discharged of four graft cases in August and September last year after his announcement to join the four-party alliance. But he finally joined the grand alliance comprising 14-party and its allies.