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Arms Haul Case

Key accused seeks to withdraw statement

Staff Correspondent, ctg
Hafizur Rahman, a key accusedinthe sensa -tional 10-truck arms haul and smuggling cases, yesterday prayed to a Chittagong court to withdraw his confessional statement made before a magistrate.
The accused in his petition to the Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 mentioned that he was threatened with death for making the confession, said Hafizur's counsel advocate Mahmudul Haq.
In his confession on March 2, 2009 before the then metropolitan magistrate of Chittagong MM Osman Gani, the accused quoted Ulfa (United Liberation Front of Assam) leader Paresh Barua as claiming to have permission and help from the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL), coast guard and the then chiefs of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence (NSI) for unloading the arms cache, said an investigation officer.
EX-CtgMAGlSTRATETESTIFIES
Testifying at the tribunal yesterday, MM Osman Gani said he had recorded the confessional statements of four accused and prosecution witnesses in the cases.
“I followed all the rules and regulations forrecordingthe statements,” said Osman, now joint district and sessions judge.
During cross-examination by the defence counsels, the judge said he did not put pressure on Hafizur to confess.
Osman denied the allegation of the defence that police had tortured Hafizur and later produced him before his court.
Replying to a query, Osman said, “I asked Hafizur where he was brought before me from, but he could not answer.”
Asked if he knew about the prayer of Hafizur to withdraw his confessional statement, Osman replied in the negative.
The court adjourned its proceedings till January 27, when the cross-examination of the judge will resume.
Yesterday, 11 accused, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and former industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami were in the dock.
On April 2, 2004, around 1,500 wooden boxes containing submachine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, submachine carbines, Chinese pistols, rocket shells and launchers, hand grenades and bullets were seized from two vessels at the jetty of CUFL.