The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Divisional Special Court here in the port city today framed charges of public fund plundering against the Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and two other co-accused.

SM Solaiman, judge of the special court, framed charges against the Mayor, former Chief Executive Officer [CEO] Imtiaz Hossain and Chief Engineer [CE] Moktar Alam in the case of defalcating more than Tk17 million by running Bijoy TV.

All three accused were produced before the court during a marathon session of arguments between defence lawyers and public prosecutor.

The judge set January 15 to start testifying the witnesses and the records of plundering public funds.

Public Prosecutor [PP] Zahurul Haque told reporters that some 30 people had been made witnesses in the plundering case.

"Imtiaz Hossain and Moktar Alam allegedly in connivance with Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury received Tk 17.8 million from the CCC funds misusing the power of the Mayor and Tk 17 million had been plundered in the name of setting up the Bijoy TV channel," the PP said.

The accused reportedly returned only Tk 800 thousand prior to the submission of the charge sheet in the case, he added.

Defence lawyer Ibrahim Hossain Babul refuted the charges, saying that the accused had returned Tk 14.1 million by now and that the rest of the amount would be deposited to the CCC account soon.

The defense lawyer further claimed the Mayor had the right to withdraw money from the CCC fund with no intention of plundering the amount. He claimed that his clients did not commit any crime by doing so.

The defence lawyer submitted a petition praying quashing of the charges brought against his clients.

The PP said the court would consider how much money was returned until the charge sheet of the case was submitted. "The amount was only Tk 800 thounsands only".

The CCC Mayor claimed himself innocent and requested dropping of the charges against him.

Earlier, Deputy Director of the Anticorruption Commission in Chittagong Mohammad Aref Siddiqui filed the graft case on May 27, 2007 with Kotwali Police Station.Investigation officer and ACC assistant director Abul Kalam Azad submitted the charge sheet on November 21.