Charge framing hearing in Niko graft case deferred

A Dhaka court has fixed April 12 for the charge framing hearing in the Niko corruption case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia during the caretaker government in 2007.

Accepting the time petition filed by Khaleda's lawyer, Dhaka’s Ninth Special Judge’s Court of Md Aminul Islam fixed the date on Wednesday.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case in December 9, 2007 over charges that Khaleda and several others abused power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was PM between 2001 and 2006.
 
Charges were pressed against 11 people, including Khaleda, on May 5, 2008, for allegedly causing a loss of Tk 137 billion to the state exchequer by awarding a gas exploration contract to the Canadian company, Niko Resources.
 
The High Court had on July 9, 2008 stayed proceedings of the graft case and issued a ruling after Khaleda filed the petition. The stay order was upheld by the Appellate Division.
 
On Jun 18, the High Court rejected Khaleda’s petition questioning the legality of the case and lifted the stay order.