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MiG-29 Case

Charge-framing hearing deferred until July 21

Staff Correspondent
Hearing on charge framing In the MiG 29 warplane purchase case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others has been adjourned till July 21.
Judge G o I a m M o r t u z a Majumder of the Special Judge s Court. Dhaka Division, adjourned the hearing that continued for the fourth day yesterday.
Defence counsels barrister Shafique Ahmed and advocates Syed Rezaur Rahman and Yusuf Hossain Humayun pleaded for quashing all charges against the Awami League president and the otheraccused.
As the court set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises sat at around 10:00am, barrister Shafique urged it to ask the prosecution to submit the Directorate
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General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) report on purchase of the warplanes for judicial scrutiny of whether it has powers to interfere with the decision of the Armed Forces Division, and action of the prime minister.
He said the MiG-29 scam case was filed on the basis of a DGFI report. In October 1999. the Armed Forces Division approved a proposal of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) for purchase of eight Russian-made warplanes of this type to help "consolidate the sovereignty of the country," he added
But the forces intelligence > opposed the approval saying MiG-29 was too expensive, and not useful for the BAF. This gives rise to a question as to whom the DGFI is accountable, the defence counsel said.
He argued that the forces intelligence has no business with defence purchases, which involve the country's foreign policy. The MiG-29s were bought on the basis of state-to-state negotiations under the Bangladesh-Russia Defence Technical Cooperation Agreement, he mentioned.
The court then fixed July 21 for further hearing on charge framing in the case.
Five of the accused, now on bail, were produced before the court.
Sheikh Hasina was represented by her counsel Sahara Khaiun since she was exempted from appearing in person for the case proceedings.
Co-accused and former army chief Gen (retd) Musiafizur Rahman, exempted from personal appearance in the court. *** also represented by his law
The other accused in the case are former BAF chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, air commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat and Unique Group Managing Director Nur Ali.
The now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on December 11. 2001, accusing Hasina and others of causing a loss of Tk 700 crore to the state by purchasing eight MiG-29 jet fighters while she was prime minister.
NIKOCASE
Hearing on charge framing in the Niko corruption case against detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 others could not take place yesterday as the High Court (HC) had earlier ordered a stay on further proceedings of the case.
Judge Khandaker Kamal Uz-zaman of the special court on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises asked the defence to submit certified copy of the HC order by July 23.
The former prime minister was not produced before the court that sat yesterday morning. The other accused were produced before the court.
On July 9, the HC stayed proceedings of the case for two months.
Former law minister and coaccused Moudud Ahmed yesterday urged the special court to ask the jail authorities why Khaleda Zia was not produced before it.
In response, the court said they cannot do so since the case proceedings were stayed by the higher court.