The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Former army chief General Mustafizur Rahman was arrested yesterday now under care of Apollo Hospital in the city by the law enforcer on charges of his involvement in the MiG-29 scam.

The officer in Charge of Badda Syed Mominul Ahsan said, the former army chief has been shown arrested in the case.

On May 20 a special court in Dhaka issued arrest warrant against ailing former army chief General Mustafizur Rahman, a co-accused in the MiG-29 case, after cancelling his bail.

Dhaka divisional judge Golam Mortuza Mojumder also deferred the case proceedings to May 28 as General Mustafiz could not attend the court for illness when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and six other accused were present.

Doctors have suggested a complete bed rest to General Mustafiz who has been suffering from so many complications in his 70s. He is not able to walk or talk normally. He is a diabetic patient and about 30 percent of his heart does not work. He was under treatment in the Apollo

However, the Court had earlier deferred proceedings for the same reason on May 11, in the case involving the purchase of eight MiG-29 war planes during Sheikh Hasina's term as prime minister.

The now defunct Bureau of Anticorruption filed the case on Dec 11, 2001, with Tejgaon Police Station against seven accused including Hasina alleging misconduct in the purchase of the war planes.

The case details said the government had incurred losses to the tune of Tk 700 crore due to the contentious purchase in 1999.

Hasina made an appeal to the High Court in 2003 to cancel the case, which was rejected.