A Dhaka court today (October 19) summoned Kevin Duggan and Liyod Skuip of Royal Canadian Mounted Police to testify in the Niko graft case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and four others.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of Dhaka (Temporary) Special Judge Court-9 issued the summon notice and fixed October 30 for the next hearing, after the defendants' lawyers cross-examined the plaintiff on behalf of Khaleda Zia and other accused. 

On September 17, the court allowed three foreigners, including a former FBI agent, to testify in Niko graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and four others.

Former supervisory special agent Debra LaPrevotte Grifith of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the USA is the other person besides the Canadian Policemen, to testify before the court in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five, including Begum Khaleda Zia, with Tejgaon police station on 9 December, 2007, for abusing power in signing a deal with Canadian company Niko for exploring and extracting gas.

The ACC submitted the charge-sheet against 11 people, including Khaleda Zia on May 5, 2008. 

The ACC accused them of incurring loss of more than Taka 13,000 crore of state exchequer by signing that deal.

BDST: 1643 HRS, OCT 19, 2023
MN/SMS