ACC seeks 7 yrs' jail for Khaleda in graft case

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday pleaded for seven years' imprisonment for BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia and other accused in Zia Charitable Trust graft case, reports BSS.

ACC counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kazal made the plea at the end of his arguments. Judge Dr Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka 5th Special Judge Court after that adjourned the hearing till today (Wednesday).

"Khaleda Zia formed the trust by misusing the power during her tenure as prime minister. She even collected money from illegal sources. She and her cohorts didn't follow the rules and regulations of forming a trust. They have violated the provisions of Trust Act," Kazal said in his arguments.

"Khaleda formed a paper-trust in the name of her late husband. She made herself and her two sons the trustees of that trust," the ACC counsel added.

Advocate Kazal said the prosecution has been able to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt and pleaded for maximum punishment, which is seven-year imprisonment in the case, for the accused.

The anti-graft body lodged Zia Charitable Trust graft case against Khaleda Zia and three others with Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2011 for embezzling Tk 31.5 million from the trust.

The other accused were Khaleda's former political secretary Haris Chowdhury, then personal secretary to Haris and BIWTA director Ziaul Islam Munna and Monirul Islam Khan, then personal secretary of Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka. The accused were indicted in the cases on March 19, 2014.