A Dhaka court yesterday ordered the four accused in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on April 7 to defend themselves.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka's Third Special Judge's Court passed the order after the defence completed cross examining the last prosecution witness.
The court recorded the depositions of 32 out of 36 prosecution witnesses including ACC Deputy Director Harun-ur-Rashid, also the investigation officer and complainant of the case.
Former premier Khaleda, the key accused in the case, did not appear before the court yesterday on health grounds.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police on August 8, 2011 accusing four people of abusing power of the PMO in setting up the Zia Charitable Trust and collecting money from unknown sources during the 2001-06 tenure of the BNP-led government.
The other accused are Khaleda’s former political secretary Abul Harris Chowdhury, and his personal secretary Dr Ziaul Islam Munna, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka. Of them, Harris is on the run while the others are on bail.
“The court has asked all the accused including Khaleda Zia to appear before it on April 7 to give statements defending themselves about the graft charges,” chief prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said.
On that day, the court would read out the charges to Khaleda and would want to know whether she is guilty or not. “If Khaleda claims not guilty and demand justice, the court will fix a date for hearing on arguments,” he added.
TM Akbar Hossain, counsel for Monirul, yesterday cross examined the investigation officer of the case. Counsels of other accused including Khaleda cross examined him earlier.
On behalf of Khaleda, her counsel Md Sanaullah Miah submitted time petitions before the court for her non-appearance.
Meanwhile, the same court yesterday fixed April 7 for recording depositions of witnesses in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. So far only the complainant, ACC official Harun, has testified in the case.
The case was filed in 2009 against Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and five others on charges of embezzling over Tk2.1 crore by forming a “fake” trust in 1991 which existed only on paper.