DHAKA: Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday (March 8) appealed against the High Court order that halted the trial of Niko graft case in which Khaleda Zia is an accused.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the journalists that the Appellate Division Chamber Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain will hold the hearing.

Earlier on Tuesday (March 7), an HC bench comprising Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and Justice M Khasruzzaman stayed the trial proceedings against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Niko graft case.

On December 1 in 2016, the High Court issued a rule following a petition filed by Barrister Moudud Ahmed and stayed trial proceedings against him for eight weeks.

The trial was held at the Special Judge’s Court-9 Dhaka. 

On December 9 of 2007, ACC filed a lawsuit with Tejgaon police station against 11, including Khaleda Zia, accusing them for incurring loss of Tk 137.77 billion to the state exchequer by signing oil-gas exploration agreements with Canadian company Niko.

The ACC framed charges in the case in May in 2008.

Khaleda Zia filed a plea challenging the legality of the case. The High Court on July 15, 2008 stayed proceedings of the graft case for two months and issued a ruling. The stay order was upheld by the Appellate Division.

On June 18 of 2015, the HC cleared the way for the trial proceedings to resume.

Besides Khaleda Zia and Moudud Ahmed, the other accused are -- AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yousuf Hossain, Mir Moinul Haque, Md. Shafiur Rahman, Giasuddin Al Mamun, Selim Bhuiyan alias Silver Selim, Kashem Sharif.

Moinul Haque, Kashem Sharif and Kamal Uddin Siddiqui remain fugitive.
    
BDST: 1314 HRS, MAR 08, 2017
LM/SR/SMS