Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Thursday stayed the trial proceedings of Niko case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed for eight weeks.
The HC Bench of Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order with rule after hearing a revision petition filed by Barrister Moudud.
Sources said that Barrister Moudud Ahmed filed a petition with the trial court for a stay on the case. But the trial court rejected his petition.
At this Moudud Ahmed filed a review petition with the HC against trial court order. After hearing on the petition, the HC passed the order.
Barrister Moudud Ahmed himself took part in the hearing. Advocate Khurshed Alam Khan stood for the ACC and Deputy Attorney General Fazlur Rahman Khan for the State. Khurshed Alam Khan said that the HC stayed the proceedings of the Niko case upon Moudud Ahmed’s petition and issued a rule. According to HC order, the proceedings will be stayed only for Moudud Ahmed, he added saying that the ACC would appeal against the HC order.
On November 24, the Supreme Court (SC) rejected a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the trial proceedings of Niko case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Niko graft case on December 9 in 2007 against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Barrister Moudud Ahmed and three others on charge of incurring a loss of Tk 13,777 crore to the State Exchequer for awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian Company Niko when they were in power between 2001 and 2006.
Former State Minister for Energy A K M Mosharraf Hossain, former Acting Energy Secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Vice-President (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif were also sued in the case.
The High Court (HC) on Thursday stayed the trial proceedings of Niko case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed for eight weeks.
The HC Bench of Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order with rule after hearing a revision petition filed by Barrister Moudud.
Sources said that Barrister Moudud Ahmed filed a petition with the trial court for a stay on the case. But the trial court rejected his petition.
At this Moudud Ahmed filed a review petition with the HC against trial court order. After hearing on the petition, the HC passed the order.
Barrister Moudud Ahmed himself took part in the hearing. Advocate Khurshed Alam Khan stood for the ACC and Deputy Attorney General Fazlur Rahman Khan for the State. Khurshed Alam Khan said that the HC stayed the proceedings of the Niko case upon Moudud Ahmed’s petition and issued a rule. According to HC order, the proceedings will be stayed only for Moudud Ahmed, he added saying that the ACC would appeal against the HC order.
On November 24, the Supreme Court (SC) rejected a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the trial proceedings of Niko case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Niko graft case on December 9 in 2007 against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Barrister Moudud Ahmed and three others on charge of incurring a loss of Tk 13,777 crore to the State Exchequer for awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian Company Niko when they were in power between 2001 and 2006.
Former State Minister for Energy A K M Mosharraf Hossain, former Acting Energy Secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Vice-President (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif were also sued in the case.
