SC asks lower court to finish trial against Ershad

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday directed the lower court concerned to resume and finish the trial proceedings of a 24-year-old radar purchase scam case filed against Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad.

The SC also cancelled the High Court directive that had asked the lower court concerned to finish the trial proceedings of the case against Ershad and three others by March 31.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by former air chief Sultan Mahmud, also an accused in the case, challenging the HC order.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the lower court had earlier recorded statements of 12 witnesses of the case, and that court would now hold arguments on their statements and deliver a verdict in the case following the SC order.

Following an ACC petition, the HC on November 24 last year directed the trial court to finish the trial proceedings by March 31. On December 19 last year, Sultan Mahmud filed the appeal with the SC challenging the HC order.

The now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption filed the case against Ershad and three others in 1992. Ershad in collusion with others allegedly caused a loss of Tk 64.04 crore to the state exchequer by purchasing radars from the USA while he was in power, said the case statement.

On August 12, 1995, the trial court framed charges against Ershad, former air chiefs Sultan Mahmud and Mamtazuddin Ahmed, and United Traders Ltd director AKM Musa. Musa has been absconding since then.