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Gatco Graft Case

Court orders arrest of ‘absconding’ Saifur, Bhuiyan, Nizami

Court Correspondent
A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against 12 ’absconding' accused in the Gatco scam case, including former ministers M Saifur Rahman. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Matiur Rahman Nizami, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge s Court directed the court’s officials instantly to send copies of the arrest warrants to police stations concerned, asking
the law enforcing agencies to report to the court about implementation ofthe order on May 22.
The judge also fixed May 22 to produce the arrestees including Khaleda Zia and the fugitive accused, including Saifur and Mannan, of the case before his court.
Following the court's order, two of the accused -■ Anwar and Shamsul moved to the High Court for anticipatory bail to avoid the arrest, but they failed to get bail after surrendering to the higher court.
Expelled BNP Secretary General
Bhuiyan and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami arc preparing themselves to be detained any time, sources close to them said.
The other accused, former finance minister Saifur, who is also the top leader of the pro-reform faction of BNP, is now in Singapore for treatment. Another former minister, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowhdury, has been in hiding since the army led joint forces began its crackdown on corruption suspects.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her younger son Arafat
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Rahman Koko have already been detained in connection with the case on September 3 lastyear, immediately after filing of the case.
The other fugitives accused are former shipping secretary Zulfikar Haider Chowdhury. Gatco directors AKM Musa Kajol, Ehsan Yusuf, Shahjahan M Hasib, former member of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed and former shipping minister and late BNP leader Col (retd) Akbar Hossain's wife Jahanara Ansar.
The arrestees are former health minister Dr Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former chief finance and accounts officer Ahmed Abul Qashem, former CPA chairman Commodore (retd) Zulfiqur Ali, former CPA chairman AMM Shahadat Hossain, former CPA directors AM Sanwar Hossain. Luthful Kabir, Gatco managing director (MD) Syed Galib Ahmed, Gatco director Syed Tanvir /Mimed, and Akbar's son Ismail Hossain Simon.
The Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) on May 13 pressed charges against Khaleda and 23 others for committing the offences.
Investigation officer (IO) of the case ACC Deputy Director Johirul Huda appealed the court to issue arrest warrants against those absconding and orders to attach their properties.
He showed 86 people as prosecution witnesses in the charge sheet approved by the anti graft body on May8.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2 last year against 13 people, including Khaleda and her son, for graft in awarding Gatco container handling work at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Eleven others were included in the charge sheet later as their involvement with corruption was proved.
The case was brought under Emergency Power Rules (EPR) that prevents bail to anyone accused arrested under the act.
The accused are charged with causing a loss of Tk 14,56,37,616.92 to the state by striking the container-handling deal with Gatco although it lacked experience and skills
Our Staff Correspondent adds that the High Court (HC) has refused to entertain heanng for two petitions filed by former BNP minis-
ters, Shamsul and Anwar, seeking anticipatory bail in the Gatco corruption case.
Their counsel Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, however, told newsmen that hearing of petitions might be held on Sunday.
After filing petitions with the concerned section of the HC, M Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar yesterday at 10:30 am appeared before the HC bench comprising Justice Khondker Musa Khaled and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury for bail in the cases.
Praying for hearing the petitions and gran ting bail to the BNP leaders, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal submitted before this court that they have filed the bail petitions at this specific moment, as their (petitioners) names were in not the first information report (FIR) of the case and but later added to the charge sheet
The court told them that they would not hear the case on the day (yesterday), as this court is scheduled to hear such new cases only on Sunday.
Barrister Kajal then rushed to another HC bench comprising of Justice Md Muzammel Hossain and Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and submitted the petitions before them.
But. the court told them that as per a recent judgment of the Appellate Division, this court could-n t hear any bail petitions filed by accused in cases filed under the EPR.