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Three Star Poultry Farm

'Ershad should be charged with abusing his official position'
The prosecution Wednesday proposed that former president 11 M Ershad be charged with abusing his official position and working with a mala fide Intention either for his own benefit or for others by illegally waiving interests on bank loans against a poultry farm causing a loss of about Taka 35 lakh to the state exchequer, reports BSS
Public Prosecutor Abdur Razzaq Khan while reading out the proposed charges said by his actions, the former president had committed offence under Section 5(1) (D) of the Anti-Corruption Law of 1947 and so was punishable under Section 5(2) of the same law.
- Former Industries Secretary. A K M Mosharraf Hossain, a coaccused in this case, has been charged with collaborating with Ershad in committing the offence and thus punishable under the above law. Khan said.
All the six accused were produced before the special court chaired by special divisional Judge Mohammad Ali.
According to the proposed charges, Ershad and Hossain by misusing their official positions and resorting to corrupt practices had influenced Bangladesh Shilpa liank (BSB) lo exempt Taka 34.86.801 realisable from Three Star Poultry Farm Limited as interest against the loan taken from the bank
The four other co-accused who included two brothers and a lady are associated with the poultry farm located at Suvar and the prosecution have charged them with abetment.
। The charge stated that Flroz Kabir, former Upazila
I Chairman of Savar, his brother Jahangir Kabir and Borhanud-din of Messrs Three Star Poultry Farm took a loan amounting Taka 20,39.327 from BSB by 1981. Because of non-payment of the principal amount and interests thereof, , Ihc burden of debt mounted to Taka 54,86,801 by Ihc end of 1989.
Bureau of Anti-Corruption filed FIR tn this case on 27.4.1991 and the charge sheet was submitted on 6th November last year.
The charge hearing re-
mained Incomplete and the Judge fixed July I for the next date.
The prosecution in the proposed charge said that Ik gum Nurunnahar Shelley., wife of Jahangir Kabir, acting on behalf of her husband, director of the poultry farm, directly applied lo the then president Ershad praying for exemption of interest payable by the farm amounting to about Taka 35 lakh on grounds of financial difficulties. She also applied lo refund the principal amount (being fixed at Taka 20 lakh) in six years at the rate of Taka 25,000 per month. Khan proposed that the exemption was made on political consideration. He said Ershad. knowing
fully that the matter wus lllc-**>. received the prayer from Begum Nurunnahar Shclk-y lo waive the Interests enabling Flroz Kabir, a defaulter, to contest the Upazila election. Flroz Kabir has been mentioned as a central k-ader ol Ershad's Jallya Party.
The prosecution, in Ils proposed charge, said former Industries secretary Mosharraf Hossain, who was the chairman of BSB board of directors, on 24.1.1990 forwarded the application of Begum Shelley to Ihc managing director of BSB with a note that "ft was given to him by the president (Ershad) and be pul before the board mecllng."
Thereafter. the prosecution stated that the BSB board of directors in its 156th emer gem? meeting with Hossain in the chair the same day ex cmplcd Three Star Poultry of Taka 34.86.801 without carrying out any investigation.
The charge said that the former industries secretary being directed by Ershad and by misusing his official position and with malaftdc Inlcn-' Hon submitted the Three Star Poultry case which was outside the sei agenda of the meeting lo gel the exemption decision passed.
Mosharraf Hossain, who was convicted and sentenced lo two years- jail early this month on corrupUon charges, was brought to the court from Jessorc Jail.
While explaining the proposed charges PP Khan claimed that there were documentary evidences of the offences committed by Ershad and Hossain. The charges were proved during investigation, lie said that though the loan was advanced against the company, all the three directors (Ihc Kabir brothers and Itorhanuddin) had submitted personal guarantee about the loans.
Rising to oppose the charges against his client, defence counsel Yusuf Hossain Humayun said mere recovery of an application purportedly written lo Ershad could not be a case. Besides, accepting an application or prayer was nc crime for an elected president.