The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury was produced before the Divisional Special Judges' Court here yesterday in a graft case over running a private TV station.

The CCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Imtiaz Hossain Chowdhury, a co-accused in the case, also appeared before the court.

Judge of the Divisional Special Court SM Solaiman asked the accused to appear before the court on January 1, 2008 again in the absence of gazette notification endorsing the CCC Chief Engineer Mokhter Alam as the co-accused in the case.

Public prosecutor Zahirul Haque told the reporters that the court had to defer the proceedings for want of gazette notification that would endorse the names of the co-accused.

"The court will move ahead and fix the next date of hearing if the gazette notification is not published by January 1, 2008," PP Zahir added.

Deputy Director of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Abu Mohammad Aref Siddique charged three bigshots of the CCC - Mayor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Engineer (CE) - for misappropriating public funds amounting not less than Tk 80 lakh in the name of launching a private TV channel "Bijoy TV".

Assistant Director of the ACC Abul Kalam Azad who investigated the alleged graft case, finally detected looting of huge public funds. He submitted charge sheet before the court on November 22. The CCC mayor had earlier appeared before court on December 4.

Mayor Mohiuddin, who was brought to Chittagong Central Jail from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka yesterday, was taken back to Dhaka by road.