Zia trust graft: Khaleda files plea to cancel trial

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today filed a petition with the High Court seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case against her, as a Dhaka court is set to resume the hearing tomorrow.

In the petition, Khaleda challenged the legality of the appointment of Harunur Rashid as the investigating officer, saying that the Anti-Corruption Commission has not published any gazette notice on his appointment.

Talking to The Daily Star, petitioner’s counsel AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon said under Section 20(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act-2004, the ACC has to issue a gazette notice on the appointment of an investigating officer (IO) of a graft case.

The petition will be included in the cause list of the HC bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Mahmudul Hoque on March 14 for its hearing, Shanjid Siddique, another lawyer for Khaleda, told The Daily Star.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the commission issued relevant gazette notices on the appointments of its IOs.

It’s not possible for the ACC to issue a separate gazette notice for appointment of a single IO, he told The Daily Star.

Several petitions were filed earlier on behalf of Khaleda Zia with the High Court and Appellate Division in connection with the case to delay the trial proceedings, he added.

The ACC on August 8, 2011 filed the graft case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power in setting up the charity.

The three other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda’s former political secretary; Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) of Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

All the accused but Khaleda have been absconding.

ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, IO of the case, has already given his deposition to the trial court in the case.