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Extortion Case

Hasina's lawyers to file discharge petition Sunday

Staff Correspondent
After scrutinising all the documents apd evidence, counsels of detained former premier Sheikh Hasina yesterday told court that the}’ would come up with a petition on Sunday seeking her discharge from the Tk 3 crore extortion case against her, and the court fixed the day for hearing.
The defence lawyers yesterday took four hours from 9:30 am to complete the job of scrutiny that they started on Monday. The prosecution on that day argued on charge framing in the extortion case, filed against the Awami League (AL) chief and two others by businessman /Lzam J Chowdhury.
Hasina fell sick during the hearing on Monday in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, specially set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises. So, she could not appear before the court yesterday while her cousin former health
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minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, another accused in the case, was present.
Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, the other accused, was shown as absconding.
The former premier's chief counsel Shafique Ahmed told the press that after examining all the relevant documents and evidence, they are now convinced that charges cannot be framed against any of the accused in the case.
Citing some 'baseless allegations' that contained 'inconsistencies', Shafique said they will submit a discharge petition before the court on Sunday and argue on it.
Opposing the charge brought against Hasina over awarding a power plant deal on turn-key basis instead of non-tum-key, the counsel mentioned that units number-5 and 6 Ghorashal power plant took nine and seven years to be completed. The job was awarded on n on - turn - key basis.
But Siddhirganj power plant deal awarded (when Hasina was premier) to Techno Prom Export, a state-owned Russian power generation company, on turn-key basis had a 28-month deadline for completion, and it saved S 61.67 million of public money, he said.
For these reasons, the charge of extracting toll by prolonging the work period is baseless, he argued.
Moreover, the Russian company was supposed to inform the ministry concerned every month about progress of the work wi th photographs and video footages, the counsel mentioned.
Ure defence lawyers also said that Azam J Chowdhury was merely a sales agent of the Russian company and he had no role in striking the deal with the company. The deal look place between Power Development Board and the state-owned Russian company, and he had nothing to do at any point in the process.
"Medical report shows that Hasina is suffering from high blood pressure, eye and kidney diseases and as a result
she could not appear before the court today (Tuesday),” Shafique told journalists replying to a question.
Prosecution lawyer Shamim Ahmed said, “We have met all the demands of defence lawyers and showed them all the documents and pieces of evidence regarding the
THE CASE AND CHARGES
Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, filed the case against Hasina and Selim with the Gulshan Police Station on June 13 lastyear.
Later, the investigation officer (IO) included Rehana's name in the charge sheet submi tied on July 24.
In his complaint, Azam said Russian company Techno Prom Export (TPE) obtained work order for the first phase of building and commissioning of Siddhirganj power plant in Narayanganj in 2000.
In the HR, Azam J Chowdhury mentioned that Shickh Hasina's cousin former lawmaker Sheikh Selim tried to be the local agent of the TPE and on different occasions tried to influence the TPE chief to serve his purpose.
When all his attempts failed, Selim started putting pressure, and Azam met him at his Banani residence with the proposal of appointing him as consultant for tire second phase of the work and told him that a large amount of commission would be given to him during the phase, the complainant
Angry at the proposal made in July 2000, Selim threatened to stop the work with the help of Sheikh Hasina if the commission was not paid, the FIR said, adding that meetings for a negotiation over payment ot the money continued atSelim's residence.
In the FIR, Azam also mentioned that his company Eastcoast Trading Private Ltd was appointed the local agent of the Russian company when I lasina was tire prime minister.
Sheikh Selim received over Tk 2.99 crore in eight cheques between October 24,2000 and March 14,2001, tire FIR added.