A Chittagong court on Thursday finished recording the depositions of prosecution witnesses in two cases filed in connection with the recovery of 10-truck arms in 2004.
The court also fixed October 23 and 24 for the next hearing and examination of the accused.
Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal 1 Judge SM Mujibur Rahman passed the orders at around 2:05pm after completing the cross-examination of Investigating Officer Md Moniruzzaman, an additional superintendent of police of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Chittagong, said Omar Fuad, the tribunal bench assistant.
As the defence lawyers did not cross-examine the IO even after repeated requests of the court, the judge declared the end of the deposition considering the prosecution’s prayer, he said.
Kamal Uddin Ahmad, public prosecutor (PP) of the tribunal, submitted a prayer for concluding the prosecution deposition on October 3.
ASP Moniruzzaman was the 53th PW of the smuggling case and 56th PW in the arms case lodged with Karnaphuli police station in connection with the sensational 10-truck arms haul at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL) jetty in Chittagong.
In the early hours of April 2, 2004, around 1,500 wooden boxes containing submachine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, submachine carbines, Chinese pistols, rocket shells and launchers, hand grenades and bullets were seized from two vessels at the jetty of CUFL.
Two cases were filed the next day with Karnaphuli police station under the Special Powers Act and arms act for smuggling and seizure of arms, and the trial began on November 29 in 2011.
Supreme Court Lawyer Khandakar Mahbub Hossain, counsel for former home minister Lutfuzzaman Babar, submitted two petitions before the court at 12:55pm on Thursday seeking to complete the cross-examinations of former officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli police station Ahadur Rahman, the plaintiff of the cases and also the first IO, and Constable AKM Mohiuddin, and to recall the two.
The defence would sustain an irreparable loss if the cross-examinations remained incomplete, he said.
The PP in reply said Ahadur Rahman was investigated the case for only 17 days and had already been cross-examined for many days. Ahadur was physically weak and the court had been informed about it, he added.
Defence Counsel Khandakar Mahbub said Ahadur was the plaintiff of the cases and the completion of his cross-examination was crucial. Khandakar Mahbub also suggested that they could cross-examine Ahadur at his residence if he was so sick. The defence and the prosecution locked into an argument over the issue while witness Moniruzzaman stood in the box.
In the end, the court adjourned its proceedings till October 23 and declared the end of the prosecution depositions.
The defence on Thursday submitted a total of 14 petitions on various issues including transferring the cases from this court and a prayer to High Court for suspension of the last order, the tribunal bench assistant said.
The court took the 14 petitions into judicial notice.
During the hearing, the 11 people accused in the cases, including former home minister Lutfuzzaman Babar and former industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami were produced before the court.
