Hasina's lawyers seek change of court

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Lawyers Wednesday expressed no-confidence in the court trying former Premier Sheikh Hasina and six other accused in the MiG-29 corruption case and appealed for a change of the trial court, reports bdnews24.com.brThe trial of the case started on August 20 when the court framed charges against all the accused persons.brHasina's counsel advocate Qamrul Islam told the news agency, The present court and its judge don't seem inclined to dispense justice in the case, we're afraid. That's why we've submitted to the court that the trial court might be changed so that we may expect justice dispensed in the case.brThe lawyers challenged the charge framing and appealed to the court to defer any proceedings in the case as Dhaka divisional special judge Golam Mortuza Mojumdar moved to record witness depositions in his special court set up in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex.brThe lawyers said they would appeal in the higher court against the charge framing conducted by the court and therefore, the court proceedings should be halted until then.brThe prosecution, however, opposed the defence submission and the judge started recording the plaintiff's testimony.brThe defence lawyers then submitted a 'no-confidence' prayer, when the judge asked them to file appeal in the higher court within Sept 20.brThe court on Aug 12 had ordered all accused, including Hasina, to appear in court on August 20 for charge framing.brAdvocate Sahara Khatun stood on Hasina's behalf during the indictment and plea.brThe judge read out the charges against the accused, and asked them for their innocent or guilty plea. All accused pleaded innocent.brThe now defunct Anti-corruption Bureau filed the case on December 11, 2001, accusing the seven of inflicting losses of Tk 7.0 billion on the state through the purchase of eight MiG-29 combat jets.brCharges were pressed on January 29, 2003, though the case later remained suspended for years as Hasina petitioned the High Court to quash the case.brOther accused are former Air Force chief Air Vice Marshal Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, former defence joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Sherniabat, retired Air Commodore Mirza Akhtar Maruf and Unique Group proprietor businessman Noor Ali.brThe other accused, former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, died on August 3 this year.