HC to decide on Niko case proceedings against Khaleda in mid June

The High Court will deliver its decision in mid of June on whether the trial proceedings of Niko corruption case against of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will run at the lower court.

The HC today concluded hearing on a writ petition filed by Khaleda challenging the legality of filing the case, and said it will deliver a verdict on the petition after its reopening following the upcoming vacation.

Both the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court will go into an annual vacation on June 1 and will reopen on June 14.

The HC, however, did not specifically say whether it will give verdict on Khaleda’s petitions on June 14, Raghib Rauf Chowdhury, a lawyer for Khaleda, told The Daily Star.

The bench of Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Zafar Ahmed held the hearing on the seven-year-old writ petition of the BNP chairperson.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9, 2007. 

It accused Khaleda and several others of abusing power while she was the prime minister to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to the Canadian company, Niko.

Following a writ petition filed by Khaleda, the HC on July 9, 2008 stayed the case proceedings and issued a rule upon the ACC and the government to explain why the initiation and proceedings of the case against her should not be declared illegal.

Three other pleas by the BNP chief in 2008 challenging the legality of the proceedings of Barapukuria coalmine and Gatco corruption cases are pending with the same HC bench.

AJ Mohammad Ali argued for Khaleda, while Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC.