Gatco graft: Khaleda asked to appear before court Apr 13

A Dhaka court today asked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on April 13 in connection with Gatco graft case.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Special Judge’s Court-3 passed the order after receiving copy of the High Court’s February 15 verdict that rejected two petitions filed by Khaleda challenging the legality of proceedings in the graft case.

On September 2 in 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission lodged the case with Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda, her youngest son late Arafat Rahman Koko, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and 10 others. The case was filed under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR).

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According to the case statement, there was corruption in the awarding of a contract to Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Company Ltd (Gatco) for container management at inland depots in Dhaka and Chittagong. The graft allegedly cost the state exchequer over Tk 1,000 crore.

The HC on July 15, 2008, stayed the case proceedings against Khaleda and issued a rule upon the government and the graft watchdog to explain why the case proceedings should not be quashed.

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The ACC on January 27 last year moved to revive the Gatco corruption case and prayed the High Court to start hearing a rule in which it questioned the legality of filing the case under the emergency power rules of 2007.

Khaleda was arrested in the case on September 2, 2007. She was freed the following year after she secured bail in Gatco and three other cases.