The New Nation - Internet Edition

Court Correspondent

A Court of Dhaka passed order yesterday declaring Vokalatnama, through which the former Army Chief Moeen U Ahmed appointed lawyer to conduct the defamation case filed against him, as valid one.

SM Saiful Islam, Joint District and Sessions Judge of Third Court of Dhaka has mentioned in the order, in submitting the Vokalatnama neither Rule iv of Order III, nor any other rule was violated. The Judge asked the former Army Chief to submit his reply in the suit on November 17 and the hearing on the petition of the defendant to reject the plaint of the plaintiff will also be held on the day.

Former State Minister of Power and Energy during the four-party Government, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku filed a petition on October 1 challenging the Vokalatnama Moeen U Ahmed. Tuku accused Moeen of submitting the vokalatnama, not following the proper legal procedure of Court.

On July 12 Tuku filed the defamation case against Moeen Ahmed and former Secretary for defaming his image in the society to the tune of Taka one hundred crore.

Earlier on March 27 of 2007, Moeen made a comment, when he said, Taka 20,000 crore was smuggled out of the country from Power sector alone during last BNP-led alliance Government. Tuku mentioned in the case the present State Minister for Power said in the Parliament on February 5 that, the last alliance Government's total allocation for Power sector was Taka 13,500 crore, which trashed the former Army Chief's accusation