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Zia Orphanage Fund Graft

Khaleda, son charged

Court Correspondent
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against Opposition Leader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son
Tarique Rahman and four others of embezzlement of Tk 2.10 crore by forming fraudulent Zia Orphanage Trust.
This is (lie first move by die anti-graft body against high profile graft suspects since the Awami League-led grand alliance assumed power. The charge sheet was submitted at a time when the ACC was not ninning smoothly and many of the accused are getting away with ACC cases due to technical flaws of t he commission.
Though the ACC has been talking of initiating legal moves and challenging releases of suspects, no such development has been apparent since the present ACC Chief Ghulam Rahman took over.
ACC suffered a halt in its activities since Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury resigned on April 2, 85 days after die Awami league-led grand alliance assumed power. SEE PAGE 15 COL 8 FROM PAGE 1
The other charge sheetec accused are former' BNP law maker Kazi Salimul Haque Khaleda's nephew Mominui Rahman, Sharfuddin Ahmed and former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui.
Deputy Assistant Directoi of ACC Harunur Rashid, alsc the investigation officer (IO) o the embezzlement case sub mitted the charge sheet to tin Dhaka Chief Metropolitar Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon showing 36 prose cution witnesses.
The IO included Kama Siddiqui's nape in the charge sheet as evidence of hi; involvement was found while names of Syed Ahmed alia; Sayeed Ahmed and Gia; Uddin Ahmed were droppec as they were in London at thai time.
He appealed to the court for issuance of arrest w arrant; against Kamal Siddiqui anc Mominur and an order tc attach their properties as they have been absconding.
On July 3 last year, the ACC Hied the case'with Ramm Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rbhmar and five others.
Khaleda is also accused ir Gatco, Niko and Barapukuria graft cases while Tarique in 15 otherCases.
Of the accused. Khaleda Tarique. Salimul and Sharfuddin were earliei granted bails from the High Court on different dates.
The higher courts had stayed the proceedings of all the three cases against Khaleda and Tarique following writ petitions.
Sources said the anti-corruption drive ceased last year for ensuring participation of all parties in December 29 general elections. A huge number of corruption cases piled up in the High Court due to stay over proceedings of the cases.
CASE STATEMENTS According to the case statement. then prime minister Khaleda Zia and the other accused embezzled over Tk 2.10 crore by establishing Zia Orphanage Trust that exists only on paper.
the complainant alleged that on June 9. 1991. a grant of $1,255,000, equivalent to about Tk 4.45 crore at the time, was transferred from United Saudi Commercial Bank to Prime Minister's Orphanage Fund -a fund that was created by the then premier shortly before the transfer -as a part of the embezzlement scheme. Only Khaleda could administer the fund.