Khaleda, Tarique deny role in Orphanage Trust graft
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman Wednesday denied outright their involvement in irregularities involving the Zia Orphanage Trust, for which a graft case was filed against them and five others, reports UNB.
They were separately quizzed by the investigation officer of the case, one of their lawyers told the news agency.
The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) on July 3 filed the case against Khaleda, Tarique and five others on charge of embezzlement of more than Tk 21 million (2.10 crore) in the name of a charity--Zia Orphanage Trust. The misappropriated money was meant for spending on welfare of the country's orphans.
Tarique was grilled for about an hour in the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University while his mother, the BNP Chairperson, was questioned for about 90 minutes in the special jail at the Sangsad Bhaban.
During the questioning, the former Prime Minister threw a challenge to the ACC deputy assistant director and investigation officer Harunur Rashid whether he could show any document having her signature. The IO could not show any such document.
"Why are you implicating me in this case? If I abide by the conditions of this government, there will be no case (against us). If I don't, there will be cases one after another,' she was quoted as telling the investigator.
Tarique also denied any wrongdoing and said the case was filed only to politically harass the Zia family.
Khaleda and Tarique's lawyer Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Nawshad Zamir and Advocate Shimul Biswas were present during the questionings.
They were separately quizzed by the investigation officer of the case, one of their lawyers told the news agency.
The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) on July 3 filed the case against Khaleda, Tarique and five others on charge of embezzlement of more than Tk 21 million (2.10 crore) in the name of a charity--Zia Orphanage Trust. The misappropriated money was meant for spending on welfare of the country's orphans.
Tarique was grilled for about an hour in the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University while his mother, the BNP Chairperson, was questioned for about 90 minutes in the special jail at the Sangsad Bhaban.
During the questioning, the former Prime Minister threw a challenge to the ACC deputy assistant director and investigation officer Harunur Rashid whether he could show any document having her signature. The IO could not show any such document.
"Why are you implicating me in this case? If I abide by the conditions of this government, there will be no case (against us). If I don't, there will be cases one after another,' she was quoted as telling the investigator.
Tarique also denied any wrongdoing and said the case was filed only to politically harass the Zia family.
Khaleda and Tarique's lawyer Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Nawshad Zamir and Advocate Shimul Biswas were present during the questionings.