The defence counsel of war crimes accused Syed Mohammad Qaisar yesterday cross examined the prosecution’s ninth witness and claimed that the witness had given false deposition in the case.
Mostafa Ali in his statement at the International Crimes Tribunal 2 on Monday said he had witnessed the killing of seven staff of a food storehouse in Shayestaganj of Habiganj including his father on April 29, 1971 by the Pakistani occupation forces, assisted by the accused and his accomplices.
During the cross-examination, defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder suggested that the witness had given false statement upon instruction of the prosecution. Mostafa denied the claims saying: “I came here for justice and whatever I told earlier in my deposition is true.”
At the end of questioning, the prosecution submitted a petition seeking permission to place a war victim in camera. The tribunal then set May 4 allowing the plea.
Chief of “Qaisar Bahini,” a group of collaborators in Habiganj, the accused was indicted on February 2 on 16 charges of crimes against humanity.
