Graft case against Khaleda meritless: Moudud

A Dhaka court today adjourned closing argument of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia till tomorrow in connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Defence lawyer Abdur Rezak Khan today placed his argument before the Special Court-5 in Bakshibazar area of Dhaka.

However, during today’s hearing, the prosecution did not start placing argument of the graft case.

After ending hearing on the closing argument, Khaleda’s lawyers Moudud Ahmed and Abdur Rezak Khan told reporters that the corruption case was politically motivated.

There is no merit in the graft charge lodged against the BNP Chairperson and the prosecution has failed to prove it, said Moudud, also a former law minister.

“No one among the 32 witnesses could tell the court that the BNP chief abused her power when she was in office. The case was lodged intending to harass her. We hope that she (Khaleda) would get acquittal,” Moudud, a standing committee member of BNP, said.

Khaleda’s closing argument in the case began on December 20. After completion of it, the court will deliver a verdict.

In July 2008, the ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore that had come as grants for orphans from a foreign bank.

Three years later, the anti-graft body lodged the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing four people, including Khaleda, of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.