The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

A special court on Sunday kept in abeyance the arraignment hearing till June 25 in the Niko scam case against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and others as the High Court had called for trial court records for its judicial scrutiny.

The High Court on June 19 during hearing on a petition filed by Hasina seeking quashment of Niko case called for trial court records to examine whether the case had been filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with due process of law.

As the court resume today at 10:15 am defence counsel Adv Shahara Khatun proposed for an adjournment of arraignment hearing citing the High Court order.

Judge A K Roy said that the court did not receive any High Court order in this regard. The court, however, adjourned the hearing till June 25.

Earlier, two accused in custody-former state minister for power and energy Prof Rafiqul Islam and ex-energy and power secretary Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhuey appeared in the court amid tight security while principal accused Hasina who was dispensed with personal attendance in trial court proceedings was represented by Adv Shahara Khatun.

On May 7 the ACC submitted the charge sheet to the court against Hasina and 8 others. According to charge sheet the accused in collaboration with each other awarded gas extraction work at Chhatak, Kamta and Feni gas fields to Niko Resources Ltd, a Canadian company, by cheating to get personal financial benefit which caused a loss of Tk 13,630.50 crore.

On December 9 last year the ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police station.