Gen Mustafiz exempted from MiG-29 hearings
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
A Dhaka court Tuesday exempted former army chief Mustafizur Rahman from appearing in court hearings of the MiG-29 case, reports bdnews24.com.
The special court of Judge Golam Mortuza Mojumder set July 16 for the next hearing in the case.
The court also continued hearing Sheikh Hasina's petition to cancel the case against her involving the controversial purchase of MiG-29 warplanes during her term as prime minister.
As the court sat Tuesday, Sheikh Hasina's lawyer barrister Shafique Ahmed read out sections of an earlier High Court ruling regarding the case that was filed by the now defunct Bureau of Anti-corruption in 2001 against seven persons.
A charge sheet was submitted on Jan 29, 2003, against the seven accused including Sheikh Hasina, but the High Court stayed the case proceedings following an appeal by Sheikh Hasina the same year.
Sheikh Hasina and the other accused persons were charged with causing the state Tk 7.0 billion in losses by purchasing eight MiG-29 warplanes.
Advocate Sahara Khatun was present in court Tuesday on behalf of Hasina as the former prime minister had been exempted from personally appearing in court while she seeks medical treatment abroad.
Six other accused in the case, including Gen Mustafiz, were present in court.
The other accused in the case are former air chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, former joint secretary of the defence ministry Mohammad Hossain Sherniyabat, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf and Unique Group proprietor Noor Ali.
The special court of Judge Golam Mortuza Mojumder set July 16 for the next hearing in the case.
The court also continued hearing Sheikh Hasina's petition to cancel the case against her involving the controversial purchase of MiG-29 warplanes during her term as prime minister.
As the court sat Tuesday, Sheikh Hasina's lawyer barrister Shafique Ahmed read out sections of an earlier High Court ruling regarding the case that was filed by the now defunct Bureau of Anti-corruption in 2001 against seven persons.
A charge sheet was submitted on Jan 29, 2003, against the seven accused including Sheikh Hasina, but the High Court stayed the case proceedings following an appeal by Sheikh Hasina the same year.
Sheikh Hasina and the other accused persons were charged with causing the state Tk 7.0 billion in losses by purchasing eight MiG-29 warplanes.
Advocate Sahara Khatun was present in court Tuesday on behalf of Hasina as the former prime minister had been exempted from personally appearing in court while she seeks medical treatment abroad.
Six other accused in the case, including Gen Mustafiz, were present in court.
The other accused in the case are former air chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, former joint secretary of the defence ministry Mohammad Hossain Sherniyabat, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf and Unique Group proprietor Noor Ali.