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Ctg Arms Haul Cases

Nizami pleads innocence

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg
Former industries minister and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami yesterday claimed his innocence in the Chittagong arms haul cases, saying the charges against him were unfounded and he was implicated in the cases with an ulterior motive.
Appearing at Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal No-1, he prayed for some time to produce witnesses, submit a written statement and documents to prove his innocence. In response, Judge SM Mojibur Rahman asked him to produce the witnesses today.
Nizami claimed his innocence after the prosecution read out the charges against him and cited from the statements of two wit-nesses-former industries secretary Dr Shoyeb Ahmad and former chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) Maj Cen (retd) Mohammad Imamuzzaman--who testified against him.
In their depositions, the witnesses brought the allegations against Nizami, said Public Prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahammad.
Quoting the two, he said though
Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL), where the arms and ammunition were seized in the wee hours of April 2, 2004, was under the control of his ministry and he was informed of the smuggling, Nizami neither did take any step at that time nor launch any investigation into the incident.
Rather, Nizami sent former acting industries secretary Nurul Amin, a fugitive accused in the cases, to CUFL on that night to supervise the unloading of the arms and ammunition, the prosecutor added, citing from the witnesses' statements.
In reply, Nizami's lawyer Abdus Sattar prayed for some more time to produce witnesses and submit a written statement to prove his client's innocence but the prosecutor opposed that appeal, saying it was a "summary trial", which should end as soon as possible.
The trial has already been delayed for different issues and is close to its end now, said Prosecutor Kamal, urging the court to allow him to place arguments instead. Though there is no rule for arguing in summary trial cases, the tribunal can allow it, he added.
FROM PAGE 3
Following the seizure of the country's largest haul of arms, which were loaded into 10 trucks, police filed an arms case and a smuggling case on April 2,2004. A total
of 50 persons are standing the trial in the arms case and 52 others in the smuggling cases. Of the accused, 11 are detained while the rest are either absconding or on bail.