SC clears way for Zia orphanage graft trial

The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court judgement that had cleared the way for a lower court to continue trial proceedings of Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha dismissed a petition filed by Khaleda challenging an HC verdict that rejected another plea seeking expunge of an investigation officer’s deposition in the case.

There is no legal bar to continue the trial proceedings of the case against the BNP chief at the lower court following the SC order, Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman, a counsel for Khaleda, told The Daily Star.

Earlier on June 29, the HC summarily rejected the petition filed by Khaleda seeking its directive upon the lower court to expunge deposition of IO Harun-or-Rashid in the case, saying there was no illegality in recording statement of the investigation officer in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Khaleda could cross-examine the IO and she would not be prejudiced in the case, the HC bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan observed.

The ACC had filed two graft cases including the Zia Orphanage Trust case in 2008 and 2011. According to the charge sheet in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others embezzled Tk 2.1 crore by forming the charity that exists only on paper.