Brushing aside the allegation that proper proceedings had not been followed in framing charges against Khaleda Zia and others in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases, public prosecutors on Sunday said the accused had bought time frequently seeking adjournment in hearing to defer the charge framing in the cases.
“Although the defence counsel took 33 times for adjournment during the last two years, they didn’t get any stay order from the High Court. Thus the court framed charges against BNP Chairperson and others on Wednesday,” ACC prosecutor Mosharraf Hossin Kajal told a press briefing at the ACC media centre here on Sunday.
Director General of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Kamrul Hossain Mollah and prosecutor Mir Ahmed Alam also spoke at the press briefing.
On March 19, a court here framed charges against Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and seven others overturning their time petitions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
Kajal said the defence lawyers submitted leave-to-appeal applications to the higher court several times but the court rejected their pleas.
Reply to a query, he said when he started hearing on behalf of the prosecution and proposed framing charges against the accused, the defence counsel created a chaotic situation in the courtroom.
“At one stage, the judge had left the courtroom and then returned and passed the order in presence of the former prime minister (Khaleda Zia),” the prosecutor said.
The Judge of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 passed the order and fixed April 21 for starting the trial with the recording of evidence of the prosecution witnesses.
On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.
Besides, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK, after securing bail, and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for the orphans.
Source: UNBConnect
