The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday night pressed charges against detained ex-PM Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others, including eight former ministers, in the Gatco graft case.

ACC deputy director Jahirul Huda, the investigation officer, submitted the charge sheet in the high-profile case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) court at about 9:20pm.

The eight ministers of the previous Khaleda government who were charge-sheeted are Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and AKM Mosharraf Hossain.

These eight ex-ministers and three others were not implicated in the first information report (FIR). ACC deputy director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the FIR with Tejgaon police station on September 2, 2007 against 13 persons.

The three others charge-sheeted along with the ex-ministers are former Shipping secretary Julfiker Haider Chowdhury, former member of Chittagong Port Authority Rashid Uddin Ahmed and Gatco company director Shajahan M Hasib.

The involvement of these additional 11 individuals was found during a two-month long investigation.

The 24 individuals along with the initially accused 13 have been charged with violating tender terms in appointing Global Agro Trade (Private) Company Ltd (GATCO), an indenting house, for container handling at Dhaka Inland Container Depot and the Chittagong Port ICD yard despite its lack of experience and skills.

They have been charged with misuse of power that caused a loss of Tk 14.56 crore to the national exchequre, according to the case statement.

However, it was initially alleged in the first information report that the national exchequre incurred a loss of over Tk 1,000 crore for awarding the work to Gatco.

During the long-running investigation, it was also found that Koko and Ismail Hossain Simon, another accused, made "illegal" financial gains amounting to Tk 2.2 crore in return for giving the tender to Gatco.

The initially accused 13 individuals are Khaleda, Koko, Zulfiqar Ali, AN Sarwar Hossain, Shahdat Hossain, Ahmed Abul Kashem, Lutful Kabir, Ismail Hossain Saimon, Galib Ahmed, Tanvir Ahmed, AKM Musa Kajol, Mrs Jahanara Akbar and Ehsan Yusuf.

Among the 24 charge-sheeted individuals, 12 are already in jail while 12 others are out of jail. The investigation officer applied to the court for taking necessary legal measures against those who now are absconding.

The 10-page charge sheet contains 86 witnesses to the case.

Among the 11 individuals who were not implicated in the FIR, two - Dr Mosharraf and AKM Mosharraf - are already in jail, while nine others, including former six ministers - Saifur, Mannan, Nizami, Shamsul, Anwar and Amir Khasru-are out of jail.

Among the initially accused 13 people, 10 have already been arrested and the remaining three are absconding.

The charge-sheet was submitted under sections 409 and 109 of the Penal Code, section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act, 1947 and sections 15 and 19 of the Emergency Power Rules, 2007.

This is the second charge sheet submitted against Khaleda after her arrest from her Cantonment residence on September 3, 2007 based on this case. The first charge sheet was submitted against her along with 10 others on May 5 in the Niko graft case.

The charge-sheet in Gatco case, however, will be the first against Khaleda's younger son, Koko. Both her sons are now in jail.