A Dhaka court has deferred until June 19 the recording of testimonies against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Judge Basudev Roy of the Special Judge Court 3 fixed the date following a time petition filed by the defence lawyer.
Khaleda’s lawyer Sanaullah Mia said the time plea was lodged in view of the hearing of two petitions at the High Court regarding appointment of Judge Bashudev Roy.
The hearing has been deferred for the second time
“The hearing will be held on May 25.”
On May 12, Khaleda Zia filed two writ petitions with the High Court, challenging the appointment of Dhaka’s Special Judge Basudev Roy.
In her writ petition, Khaleda sought a rule upon the authority concerned asking why the appointment of Basudev Roy should not be declared illegal as there was no official gazette notification published following his appointment.
The petition also sought stay on the trial proceddings of the two cases. Later, the HC fixed May 25 for hearing the petitions.
Earlier on April 21, the court deferred the recording of depositions against the accused until May 21 responding a plea of the defence lawyer.
Khaleda’s lawyers filed the time petition with the court saying that a revision petition was pending with the High Court seeking to quash the trial court indictment orders against the BNP chief in the two graft cases.
On March 19, Judge Basudev Roy passed indictment order against the former prime minister in the two cases.
On April 13, Khaleda Zia filed two petitions with the HC to annul the lower court order. On April 23, the HC rejected the petitions.
Zia Orphanage Trust case
The ACC filed the graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna police station accusing Khaleda, her son Tarique and four others for embezzling over Tk2.1 crore by forming the “fake” trust in 1991. The money came as grants from a foreign bank for the orphans.
On August 5, 2010, ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid submitted the charge sheet and named 37 witnesses in the case.
According to the case statement, the accused embezzled the money by establishing Zia Orphanage Trust that “exists only on paper.”
Zia Charitable Trust case
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing four of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
ACC official Harunur, also investigation officer of the case, pressed the charges on January 16, 2012. He showed 37 people as prosecution witnesses in the case.
According to the charge sheet, money for setting up the trust was collected from different sources, using the influence of the Prime Minister’s Office during the 2001-06 tenure of the BNP-led government.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
