HC stays Khaleda's Niko graft case

Staff Correspondent: The High Court (HC) has stayed the Niko graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The bench of Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and Justice Md Khashruzzaman passed the order following a petition filed by Khaleda Zia seeking a stay of the trial proceeding of the case on Tuesday.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed stood for the petition in the court.

The ACC filed the case in December 2007 accusing Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

The anti-graft body pressed charges against Khaleda and 10 others in May 2008. Two months later the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case.

On June 18 last year, the HC cleared the way for the trial proceedings to resume.

Former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif also made accused in the case.


risingbd/Dhaka/Mar 07, 2017/Mehedi/A K Azad