Khaleda, Tarique charged in orphanage trust case
Thursday, 6 August 2009
The Anti-Corruption Commission Wednesday submitted charge-sheet against former prime minister Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others in the Zia Orphanage Trust fund embezzlement case filed during the interim regime, reports UNB.
The others charge-sheeted in the case are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, Sharfuddin Ahmed, ex-principal secretary Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui and Mominur Rahman, son of Khaleda's sister.
Harunur Rashid, deputy assistant director of the ACC, submitted the charge-sheet to a court under the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in the afternoon.
The anti-graft watchdog body, which had conducted a massive purge against graft suspects under state of emergency following the 1/11 changeover, filed the case with Ramna police station on July 24, 2008 on charge of embezzlement of over Tk 2.10 crore through forming an 'eyewash' establishment styled 'Zia Orphanage Trust'.
The case had been filed under sections 409/109 of the Penal Code, section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1947 and section 15 of the Emergency Power Rules 2007.
Incidentally, the charge filing took place at a time when the new government of the Awami League-led grand alliance is withdrawing in bunches the cases filed in the past against political leaders and activists with the intent of 'political harassment'.
According to the charge, the then prime minister and BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, and the other accused had embezzled over Tk 2.10 crore by establishing the "name-only organisation" (Zia Orphanage Trust).
Harunur Rashid alleged that on June 9, 1991, a Tk 4.45 crore grant at the time was transferred from the United Saudi Commercial Bank to Prime Minister's Orphanage Fund.
"The fund was created by then the prime minister shortly before the transfer of the grant as part of the embezzlement scheme," it is stated in the charge-sheet. "Only Khaleda administered the fund."
On September 5, 1993, Khaleda issued a cheque for Tk 2.33 crore from the Prime Minister's Orphanage Fund to the Zia Orphanage Trust on the plea of building an orphanage in Bogra district.
The cheque was deposited into the trust account with Sonali Bank's New North Circle Branch at Gulshan in the capital on November 15 the same year. "A sum of Tk 4 lakh was withdrawn from the trust account and Tk 2.77 lakh of it was spent to buy 2.79 acres of land at Gabtoli in Bogra for the orphanage."
But, there had been no activity of the trust in the following 13 years since 1993 till 2006 and the amount saved in the account of the trust grew to Tk 3.37 crore with accrued interest, the ACC stated in the charge.
The others charge-sheeted in the case are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, Sharfuddin Ahmed, ex-principal secretary Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui and Mominur Rahman, son of Khaleda's sister.
Harunur Rashid, deputy assistant director of the ACC, submitted the charge-sheet to a court under the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in the afternoon.
The anti-graft watchdog body, which had conducted a massive purge against graft suspects under state of emergency following the 1/11 changeover, filed the case with Ramna police station on July 24, 2008 on charge of embezzlement of over Tk 2.10 crore through forming an 'eyewash' establishment styled 'Zia Orphanage Trust'.
The case had been filed under sections 409/109 of the Penal Code, section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1947 and section 15 of the Emergency Power Rules 2007.
Incidentally, the charge filing took place at a time when the new government of the Awami League-led grand alliance is withdrawing in bunches the cases filed in the past against political leaders and activists with the intent of 'political harassment'.
According to the charge, the then prime minister and BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, and the other accused had embezzled over Tk 2.10 crore by establishing the "name-only organisation" (Zia Orphanage Trust).
Harunur Rashid alleged that on June 9, 1991, a Tk 4.45 crore grant at the time was transferred from the United Saudi Commercial Bank to Prime Minister's Orphanage Fund.
"The fund was created by then the prime minister shortly before the transfer of the grant as part of the embezzlement scheme," it is stated in the charge-sheet. "Only Khaleda administered the fund."
On September 5, 1993, Khaleda issued a cheque for Tk 2.33 crore from the Prime Minister's Orphanage Fund to the Zia Orphanage Trust on the plea of building an orphanage in Bogra district.
The cheque was deposited into the trust account with Sonali Bank's New North Circle Branch at Gulshan in the capital on November 15 the same year. "A sum of Tk 4 lakh was withdrawn from the trust account and Tk 2.77 lakh of it was spent to buy 2.79 acres of land at Gabtoli in Bogra for the orphanage."
But, there had been no activity of the trust in the following 13 years since 1993 till 2006 and the amount saved in the account of the trust grew to Tk 3.37 crore with accrued interest, the ACC stated in the charge.