Ershad pleads innocence in radar purchase graft case

Former President and Jatiya Party chairman Gen (retd) HM Ershad claimed himself innocent Thursday before the court in connection with the Radar purchase graft case, reports UNB.

Ershad came up with the claim when Judge Abdur Rashid of the Special Court for Dhaka asked him whether he is guilty or not in the graft case he is facing, exercising section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Appearing in the dock, the two other accused-former Air Force chief Air Vice Marshal (retd) Sultan Mahmud and former Air Force chief Mamtaj Uddin Ahmed-also pleaded not guilty of the charges.

Hearing the accused, the court set May 29 for closing arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsel.

Twenty-two years ago, now-defunct Bureau of Anti-corruption (BAC) filed the case against former military ruler Ershad and four others with Cantonment police on May 4, 1992. Abdus Sattar Sarkar, a former BAC official, pressed charges against Ershad and four others on October 27, 1994.