Corruption case against Hasina quashed by B'desh HC
Bangladesh High Court has quashed a two-billion-dollar corruption case against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina involving the awarding of three offshore gas fields to Canadian firm Niko Resources.
The court also directed the Anti-Corruption Commission chairman to amend its rules regarding filing and proceeding of any case.It observed in the verdict that the ACC had filed the case against Hasina at the instigation of a vested quarter, in order to politically harass her and damage her image and popularity.
The court has not found any criminal offence in the first information report and chargesheet of the case against her, it said.The HC bench of Justice Md Shamsul Huda and Justice Abu Bakar Siddiquee pronounced the verdict following a writ petition filed by Hasina for quashing the proceedings against her.Hasina's lawyer Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh yesterday told journalists that there are five separate cases pending with trial courts.
"Separate petitions are pending with the HC challenging proceedings of those cases, and hearing of the petitions will be held soon," he said.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9, 2007, accusing Hasina and six others of causing Tk 13.6 crore (about two billion dollars) loss to the state exchequer and abusing power while awarding contracts of three "abandoned" gas fields in Chhatak, Kamta and Feni to Canadian energy company Niko Resources Ltd during the pervious Awami League rule.
Earlier, the HC quashed all proceedings against Hasina in three corruption cases concerning Bangabandhu Novo Theatre (planetarium) and the MiG-29 warplane purchase corruption case on March 4 and 9 respectively.
