The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday refused to entertain two petitions filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission for reviving two set aside cases against detained former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia on separate corruption charges.

Earlier, the High Court had quashed both the corruption cases-one in connection with renovation of the private residence of Begum Zia inside Dhaka Cantonment using Government fund and the other related to the irregularities in appointing 746 Police Sub-Inspectors-which, an official of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) claimed, were made either on the basis of political choice or in exchange of kickbacks

The six-member Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin passed the orders dismissing the ACC's two petition for leave to appeal against the High Court judgments that had quashed the two corruption cases against Begum Zia, also the BNP Chairperson.

The corruption charges on Khaleda Zia's private residence was filed on January 28 in 1997 with the Cantonment Police Station in the capital by an officer of the now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC), most staffs of which was absorbed by the ACC immediately after the formation of the independent anti-graft national watchdog.

It was alleged that BNP Chief in connivance with another accused had abused and misappropriated an amount of about Tk 64 lakh for maintenance, construction, decoration, supply of electrical appliances and paying remuneration to the employees her private residence from the state exchequer, when she was the Prime Minister of the country.

The other corruption case relating to the appointment of 746 Police Sub-Inspectors was filed on December 21 in 1996 with Ramna Police Station in the capital by the BAC and revived by the ACC.

Both the corruption cases were quashed by the High Court following applications filed by Begum Zia on October 23 in 2001 and on May 14 in 2002.