Khoka indicted

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka in a case filed for amassing wealth illegally and concealing its information from the ACC.

Judge Md Zahurul Haque of Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka passed the order after rejecting a petition seeking Khoka's bail-extension and fixed November 16 for starting the trial.

Mohosin Mia, a counsel for the BNP leader, had filed the petition in which he also pleaded to the court to halt the trial proceedings against Khoka, saying the BNP vice-chairman was currently in the USA for treatment.

On October 21, the same court issued an arrest warrant for the former Dhaka City Corporation mayor in a bomb blast case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the corruption case on April 2, 2008 against Khoka, his wife Ishmat Ara, son Ishrak Hossain and daughter Sarika Sadeque for allegedly accumulating wealth worth over Tk 17.57 crore, which does not match his actual income, and concealing the information about his wealth.

Khoka's wife, son and daughter were accused of assisting him in committing the offence.

The anti-graft body pressed charges against Khoka on July 2, 2008. But the IO dropped the names of Khoka's son and daughter from the charge sheet as their involvement was not proven in the investigation.

The ACC could not press the charge against Khoka's wife Ishmat Ara either as the High Court stayed the investigation against her after she filed a writ petition with it. 

In the charge sheet, ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam, also the case's IO, mentioned that Khoka submitted his wealth statement showing wealth worth Tk 9.97 crore on December 6, 2007 but the ACC found wealth worth Tk 9.76 crore illegal under his ownership, which is beyond his known sources of income.

The ACC also found wealth worth Tk 9,65,03,609 that had been concealed in his wealth information submitted earlier to the commission.

Following the charge sheet, Khoka challenged its legality with the HC. The HC then stayed the trial proceedings for a long time. But on May 20 of 2012, the HC vacated the stay order and ordered the lower court to continue the trial.