Canadian Cops Summoned To Testify Against Khaleda

The Dhaka (Temporary) Special Judge Court-9 on Thursday (October 19) summoned Kevin Duggan and Liyod Skuip of Royal Canadian Mounted Police to testify in NIKO graft case against the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia and four others in the case.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman of the court issued the summon and fixed October 30 for the next testimony, 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 Khaleda Zia and four others.

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

The Anti Corruption Commission filed the case against five, including Khaleda Zia, with Tejgaon police station on December 9, 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._BSS