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Niko graft case hearing adjourned

Staff Correspondent
The prosecution of die Niko graft case yesterday appealed to the special court to frame charges against the nine accused including former premier and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.
The court, however, adjourned the hearing until June 22.
There is ample documentary evidence to frame charges against die accused, prosecutors of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) told die court during hearing on the charge framing of the case.
This is a case of documentary evidence which would unveil the truth of the offence during trial," ACC prosecutor Sharfuddin Khan Mukul told judge Amar Kumar Roy of the Special Court-2 set up on die Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.
Defence lawyer advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman opposed the pros -ecution's plea and said the
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prosecution in the proposed motion did not disclose any offence committed by the accused.
The defence would present its arguments for acauittal of die accused at the next hearing, advocate Reza told the court.
ACC prosecutor Syed Shameem Ahsan Habib formally moved the motion for framing of charges against the accused.
Advocate Sahara Khatun represented Hasina as she had been exempted from appearing personally at the court during her stay overseas for medical treatment.
Two of the accused in the case -former power secretary Dr Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury and former state minister for power Prof Rafiqul Islam - were produced before the court.
ACC Deputy Director MM Sabbir Hasan filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9 last year. Charge sheet in the case was submitted on May 7, accusing nine people for abuse of power, office and authority in handing over three 'abandoned' gas fields to Canadian oil and gas exploration company Niko.
The charges say Hasina as the then prime minister approved the Niko deal in 2001, causing a loss of Tk 13.6 crore to the state exchequer.
The other accused include former state minister Rafiqul Islam, former energy secretary M Akmal Hossain, former vice-president of Niko Resources Ltd Bangladesh Kashem Sharif, former chairman of Petrobangla Mosharraf Hossain and former director Syed Anwarul Haque.