The Anti-Corruption Commission has moved to revive the Gatco corruption case against Khaleda Zia, under which the BNP chairperson and 22 others were accused of illegally causing losses worth Tk1,000 crore to the state exchequer.
The commission yesterday prayed to the High Court to start hearing on a previous ruling which questioned the legality of filing the case under the emergency power rules (EPR) of 2007.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan urged the High Court bench of Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hasan to include the rule in today’s cause-list.
Khurshid Alam Khan told the Dhaka Tribune the matter would come up in the cause list on Wednesday for fixing a hearing date.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against former premier Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman Koko and 21 others on September 2, 2007, with Tejgoan police station, accusing them of causing losses worth Tk1,000 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract to Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) for container management at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.
On the same day, Khaleda was arrested in connection with the case.
On September 30 the same year, the High Court granted bail to Khaleda in the graft case and issued a rule upon the government and the ACC to explain why bringing the charges of the case under the EPR should not be declared illegal.
Following another writ petition, the High Court on July 15, 2008, stayed the proceedings of the case and also issued another rule upon the government and the ACC to explain why the proceedings of the case should not be quashed.
Lawyer changed in Gatco case
The Anti-Corruption Commission has changed its lawyer to represent them in the Gatco graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The anti-graft body on Monday appointed ACC’s panel lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan as the legal counsel for the case, replacing incumbent Law Minister Anisul Huq, said a commission source who was involved in the process.
The ACC source said the commission needed to change the lawyer for the graft case as the previously appointed counsel – Anisul Haq – was now the law minister. The source added that the ACC chief had okayed Khurshid’s appointment and an official order on this regard would be issued soon.
