Ershad acquitted in radar purchase graft case

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad and three others were acquitted of charges in a 24-year-old radar purchase corruption case.

Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court handed down the verdict on Wednesday.

The two others who got acquittal are former Air Force chief Air Vice-Marshal (retd) Sultan Mahmud and former Air Force chief Momtaj Uddin Ahmed.

Another accused in the case, AKM Musa, Director of United Traders, was earlier exempted.

The prosecution failed to prove the charges brought against the accused, the judge said in the judgment.

On November 24, 2016, the High Court asked the authorities concerned to dispose of the radar purchase graft case against former President and Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad by March 31, 2017.

Later, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking its order for recording the testimonies of some witnesses.

On January 08, the SC rejected the petition. Later, ACC appealed for reviewing the order.

Now-defunct Bureau of Anti Corruption filed the case against former military ruler Ershad and four others with Cantonment police station on May 4, 1992.