The trial of former presi-~ dent H M Ershad. the main accused in the Jatiya Party Office Case (Special Case No 50 of 19931. tn the court of the Special Judge. Dhaka. was adjourned yesterday until September A.

Yesterday's proceedings saw the completion ,of deposition by prosecution witness number four S M A Mannan. SubAssistant Engineer. PWD Circle. Mymensingh. His cross-examination was about to start when First Additional Sessions Judge. Dhaka. Zinat Ara adjourned the court.

PW 4 Mannan corroborated the statements made by PW 3 Isa Huq. Executive Engineer. PWD Design Section, who ha4 told the court Wednesday that the former ruler used to frequently visit the abandoned House No 104. Road 3. Dhanmondi which was being used as the central office of the then ruling Jatiya Party.

Both witnesses testified that during such visits. Ershad used to issue instructions and on the-spot orders regarding

the renovation and refurbishing of thechouse.

Mannan said such Instructions naturally led to escalation of the estimated costs which had to be revised several times. He also identified some documents produced by the prosecution as exhibits.

The deposition of PW 4 completed. Judge Zinat Ara asked Ershad — who has withdrawn all his lawyers alleging that he wouldn't be getting a fair trial in any case — whether he would like to crosi-examine the witness, as he had done Wednesday with regard to PW 3. To this Ershad declined, saying "What's the use? All will go against me."

However. the judge assured him that he may. if he wished, cross-examine the witness after the cross-examination by the counsels of the two other co-accused — former Works Minister Mostafa Jamal Halder and acting Works Secretary M A Rouf.

Public Prosecutor A Razzak Khan conducted the deposition of PW 4.