The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The arraignment hearing on the Niko graft case against former Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has apparently becomes uncertain as the High Court called for the trial court records for judicial scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the designated special court at the parliament building complex that deals with the case has sent its records to the High Court.

As the trial court resumed on Wednesday at 10:10 am, Judge AK Roy informed both the defence and prosecution lawyers that he had complied with the June 19 High Court order after receiving it officially.

The High Court during hearing on a petition filed by Sheikh Hasina seeking quashment of the Niko case had called for trial court records by June 30 to examine whether the case had been filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with due process of law.

The court, however, fixed July 7 as the next date for arraignment hearing subject to the High Court decision on the pending quashment petition.

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

On December 9 last year, the ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police station. The ACC on May 7 submitted the charge sheet to the court against Hasina and eight others.

According to the charge sheet, the accused in collusion with each other awarded gas extraction work at Chhatak, Kamta and Feni gas fields to Niko Resources Ltd., a Canadian company, to gain personal financial benefit that caused a loss of Tk 13,630.50 crore to the state coffer.