Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Thursday rejected a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia seeking testification of the prosecution witnesses again in the Zia Charitable Trust case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against her.
The HC, however, asked the Supreme Court registrar general and law secretary for taking steps to ensure that the witnesses of the cases take oath before testifying.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice J B M Hassan passed the order after hearing the petition.
On December 6, Khaleda Zia submitted the criminal revision petition with the HC through his lawyers seeking cancellation of statements of 32 prosecution witnesses recorded by the trial court.
Khaleda said in the petition that the recording of the witnesses’ statements did not take place under the criminal rules and procedures. So she prayed to the HC to order the lower court to cancel the statements.
On August 8 in 2011, the ACC lodged the Zia Charitable Trust case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station for raising funds of the trust from unknown sources abusing power.
The other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda Zia’s former Political Secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16 in 2012.
The High Court (HC) on Thursday rejected a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia seeking testification of the prosecution witnesses again in the Zia Charitable Trust case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against her.
The HC, however, asked the Supreme Court registrar general and law secretary for taking steps to ensure that the witnesses of the cases take oath before testifying.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice J B M Hassan passed the order after hearing the petition.
On December 6, Khaleda Zia submitted the criminal revision petition with the HC through his lawyers seeking cancellation of statements of 32 prosecution witnesses recorded by the trial court.
Khaleda said in the petition that the recording of the witnesses’ statements did not take place under the criminal rules and procedures. So she prayed to the HC to order the lower court to cancel the statements.
On August 8 in 2011, the ACC lodged the Zia Charitable Trust case against Khaleda and three others with Tejgaon Police Station for raising funds of the trust from unknown sources abusing power.
The other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda Zia’s former Political Secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16 in 2012.
