ZIA CHARITABLE TRUST CASE False case filed to harass Khaleda: defence

The prosecution on Tuesday concluded the closing arguments in Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Charitable Trust case in a special court in Dhaka seeking highest punishment prescribed in the law for all the four accused, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, for raising funds for the trust from unknown sources abusing power.
The defence, on completion of the prosecution arguments before the Dhaka special judge’s court-5, began its part of closing arguments and claimed that the case was lodged on false information to harass Khaleda and that the prosecution failed to prove the case.
Khaleda was present before the court of judge Md Akhtaruzzaman.
At the outset of Monday’s hearing, Anti-Corruption Commission’s public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal began his case summing up arguments.
He read out the first information report of the case and parts of statements of prosecution witnesses to prove the allegation against the four accused — Khaleda, her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his former personal assistant Ziaul Islam Munna and former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s assistant personal secretary Monirul Islam Khan.
On August 8, 2011, the case was lodged with the Tejgaon police station accusing the four for abusing power during Khaleda’s tenure from 2001 to 2006 in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources, he submitted. 
He also said that BNP chairperson Khaleda became the trustee concealing information of her being prime minister, but the trust was registered with the address of the then prime minister’s Mainul Haq Road residence in Dhaka.
He submitted that a total of Tk 7.77 crore was collected for the trust misusing PM’s power and that no money came to the fund when her tenure expired.
He submitted that the prosecution could be able to prove the case under section 5 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 through its 32 prosecution witnesses and sought highest punishment prescribed in the law.
The section prescribes seven years’ jail as the highest punishment.
Harris is still absconding. Khaleda, Ziaul and Monirul have submitted statements in their defence before the court. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net