Charge framing in Gatco graft case again deferred to June 24
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
The arraignment hearing on the Gatco graft case was once again deferred to June 24 Monday following Sunday's order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC), reports UNB.
The SC adjourned for one month the hearing of the Anti-corruption Commission's (ACC) application against a High Court (HC) order that granted bail to detained ex-PM Khaleda Zia and her son Arafat Rahman Koko in the Gatco case and stayed the case proceedings.
The special court of Judge Shahed Noor Uddin passed the order when the defence counsel pointed out the apex court order.
The court resumed at 10:52 am after the principal accused, Khaleda Zia, and 16 others who are in custody were produced before the court.
They include Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Motiur Rahman Nizami of Jamaat-e-Islami.
The co-accused of the case -- former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman and ex-Commerce Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury -- are absconding.
Khaleda Zia's ailing youngest son Koko was brought to the court in an ambulance.
Koko appeared in the court sitting in a wheelchair along with a standby oxygen cylinder and his physician. After a stay for a few minutes in the court, Koko was taken back to the ambulance.
Khaleda's estranged secretary general co-accused Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan shook hands with BNP secretary general Khondoker Delwar Hossain and exchanged pleasantries just before the court resumed. But BNP Chairperson Khalda Zia cut Bhuiyan dead.
However, Khaleda Zia talked to her former cabinet colleague M Shamsul Islam, Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain and Nizami in the dock. Mannan Bhuiyan remained quiet with his head down, court sources said.
On May 13, the ACC submitted charge sheet against ex-PM Khaleda Zia and 23 others. The case was filed with Tejgaon police station on September 2 last year.
According to the case, the accused in connivance with each other awarded Gatco, an inefficient company, the contract for container handling at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong causing a loss over Tk 140 million (14 crore) to the state coffer.
The SC adjourned for one month the hearing of the Anti-corruption Commission's (ACC) application against a High Court (HC) order that granted bail to detained ex-PM Khaleda Zia and her son Arafat Rahman Koko in the Gatco case and stayed the case proceedings.
The special court of Judge Shahed Noor Uddin passed the order when the defence counsel pointed out the apex court order.
The court resumed at 10:52 am after the principal accused, Khaleda Zia, and 16 others who are in custody were produced before the court.
They include Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Motiur Rahman Nizami of Jamaat-e-Islami.
The co-accused of the case -- former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman and ex-Commerce Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury -- are absconding.
Khaleda Zia's ailing youngest son Koko was brought to the court in an ambulance.
Koko appeared in the court sitting in a wheelchair along with a standby oxygen cylinder and his physician. After a stay for a few minutes in the court, Koko was taken back to the ambulance.
Khaleda's estranged secretary general co-accused Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan shook hands with BNP secretary general Khondoker Delwar Hossain and exchanged pleasantries just before the court resumed. But BNP Chairperson Khalda Zia cut Bhuiyan dead.
However, Khaleda Zia talked to her former cabinet colleague M Shamsul Islam, Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain and Nizami in the dock. Mannan Bhuiyan remained quiet with his head down, court sources said.
On May 13, the ACC submitted charge sheet against ex-PM Khaleda Zia and 23 others. The case was filed with Tejgaon police station on September 2 last year.
According to the case, the accused in connivance with each other awarded Gatco, an inefficient company, the contract for container handling at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong causing a loss over Tk 140 million (14 crore) to the state coffer.