The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Supreme Court yesterday disposed of a pending Anti-Corruption Commission petition for vacating High Court orders extending stay on the trial proceedings of Niko and Barge-mounted power-plant graft cases against ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A regular bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin passed the order as Attorney General (AG) Salah Uddin Ahmed, the counsel for the ACC, moved a new petition intending not to press the vacation petition.

The AG moved the petition as the High Court Tuesday set October 19 for analogous hearing of rules on quashing petitions filed against the Niko and Barge-mounted power-plant graft cases by the former Prime Minister and Awami League chief, Sheikh Hasina, now abroad on parole for treatment of her eyes and ears.

On August 27, the HC, following petition, extended the stay up to October 14.

On July 7, the High Court stayed for two months the proceedings of the Niko and the Barge-mounted power-plant graft cases following Hasina's separate quashing petitions. The HC had also issued separate rules asking the ACC to explain why the two cases "should not be quashed".

Both the cases are now pending with the special courts set up at the parliament complex that deals with high-profile corruption cases following the 1/11 change of guards in state power.

Meanwhile, Barrister Shafique Ahmed, the counsel for Hasina, Wednesday moved an application to the bench of Justice M Anwarul Haque and Justice Farah Mahbub seeking further extension of stay operation of the trial-court proceedings on the duo-cases as the stay expired.

Barrister Shafique also prayed for extension of an October 5 HC order that had asked the law to refrain from arresting or harassing Hasina at home and abroad until October 20, abstaining from granting bail in the cases.

The prayers may come up for hearing tomorrow (Thursday), court sources said.

On September 2 last year, the ACC filed the Barge-mounted power-plant case with Tejgaon police station against Hasina and several others, amid a crackdown in the interim period on former ruling politicians.

It complained that the ex-PM and other accused through mutual understanding and use of influence had helped a foreign company and its local partners win a deal for setting up a barge-mounted 100MW power plant in Khulna, depriving the lowest bidder.

On December 9 last year, the ACC filed the Niko scam case with the Tejgaon police station. According to the charge sheet, the accused in collusion with one another awarded gas-extraction work in 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 exchequer".