Charge framing in the money-laundering case against Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, has been shifted to July 25, deferring it for the third time.
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of Dhaka's Third Special Judge's Court passed the order on Sunday following a plea from lawyers of Tarique and his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun, another accused in the case.
The court, however, did not give any order on the appeal from special counsel of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mosharraf Hossain Kajal.
In the extension petition, the defendant's lawyers mentioned that a petition on the case's being taken into cognisance was under review with the Supreme Court.
Dhaka's Senior Special Judge's Court on May 5 this year took into cognisance the charges against Tarique and Mamun in the case and set May 19 for pressing the charges.
The trial will continue under the 2002 Money Laundering Act as per a Supreme Court order, not under the revised one of 2009.
The ACC filed the case on October 26, 2009 and pressed charges on July 6 last year.
According to the case, Tarique and Mamun channelled funds worth over Tk 204 million out to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
The fund was taken in bribes from Khadiza Islam, director of Nirman Construction Limited, for helping it bag contract of an 80MW power plant at Tongi.
After his arrest on March 7, 2007 during the state of emergency, Tarique secured bail and flew to London with his family for medical treatment on September 11, 2008. He has since been living there.
The BNP senior vice-chairman has 14 cases against him, filed for corruption and extortion.
Mamun is currently in jail.
On the other hand, Khaledas youngest son Arafat Rahman was jailed for six years and fined Tk 190.41 million on June 23 for siphoning off SGD 2,884,000 and $932,000 to Singapore.
Ismail Hossain Simon, son of former BNP shipping minister late Akbar Hossain, is the co-accused in the case.
Source : New Age
