HC grants bail to Khaleda, stays GATCO case proceedings
Monday, 1 October 2007
The High Court Sunday stayed the proceedings of the GATCO scam case against detained former premier and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, granting bail only to Khaleda, reports UNB.
A division bench, comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order upon two writ petitions.
Granting bail to Khaleda Zia in the case, sans Koko, the court issued rule upon the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain why the invoking of the case under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR) 2007 in pursuant to a September 18 decision of the ACC should not be declared to have been done without lawful authority.
"The rule has been made returnable in six weeks," says the court order.
Despite the High Court order staying the proceedings of the case for an interim period, the investigation into the case will continue, said the court order.
Meanwhile, ACC secretary Mukhles ur Rahman told reporters at the Commission that they would comply with the court order.
The ACC filed the case against Khaleda, her younger son Koko and others on September 2, a day before their arrest.
ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing them of awarding a container handling contract to an inept private firm, GATCO, by taking Tk 22 million in kickback and thus causing a loss of Tk 10 billion to the national exchequer.
Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq, assisted by Barrister Nasiruddin Ashim and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal, appeared for Khaleda Zia and Arafat Rahman Koko.
A division bench, comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order upon two writ petitions.
Granting bail to Khaleda Zia in the case, sans Koko, the court issued rule upon the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain why the invoking of the case under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR) 2007 in pursuant to a September 18 decision of the ACC should not be declared to have been done without lawful authority.
"The rule has been made returnable in six weeks," says the court order.
Despite the High Court order staying the proceedings of the case for an interim period, the investigation into the case will continue, said the court order.
Meanwhile, ACC secretary Mukhles ur Rahman told reporters at the Commission that they would comply with the court order.
The ACC filed the case against Khaleda, her younger son Koko and others on September 2, a day before their arrest.
ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing them of awarding a container handling contract to an inept private firm, GATCO, by taking Tk 22 million in kickback and thus causing a loss of Tk 10 billion to the national exchequer.
Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq, assisted by Barrister Nasiruddin Ashim and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal, appeared for Khaleda Zia and Arafat Rahman Koko.