Court exempts Khaleda, 2 others from Gatco graft case
The court, however, framed charges against 12 other accused including former CPA chairman Commodore (retd) Zulfikar Ali
A Dhaka court today (24 October) exempted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Dr Kandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury from the Gatco graft case.
Judge Abu Taher of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 passed the order after holding a hearing on charge framing in the case.
The court, however, framed charges against 12 other accused including the former chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Commodore (retd) Zulfikar Ali.
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The 11 other indicted accused are Jahanara Ansar, Ismail Hossain Saimon, AKM Musa Kazal, Ehsan Eusuf, Julfikar Haider Chowdhury, AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed, then Gatco director Shahjahan M Hasib, Syed Tanvir Ahmed, Syed Galib Ahmed, ASM Shahadat Hossain, and AM Sanowar Hossain.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against 13 people, including Khaleda and her younger son Arafat Rahman on 2 September, 2007, at Tejgaon Police Station over penning a contract with Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chattogram.
The anti-graft body accused Khaleda and others of causing a loss of Tk14.56 crore to the state by awarding the job of container management at Dhaka ICD and Chattogram Port to Gatco. A formal charge was submitted against 24 on 13 May, 2008.
But of the 24 accused, eight – including Arafat and Saifur Rahman – died earlier. Another accused Matiur Rahman Nizami was hanged in a crime against humanity case. Their names were dropped, leaving 15 accused to face trial in the case.
