Arms case trial: Papia, her husband give self-defence statements before tribunal

Expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman today claimed innocence after a Dhaka tribunal read out charges from statements of prosecution witnesses to them in an arms case.

The couple made the submissions while giving their self-defence statements today against the statements given by 10 prosecution witnesses before the tribunal earlier yesterday.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Special Tribunal-1 of Dhaka then fixed September 24 for arguments of the case.

On February 22, a team of Rab arrested Papia and her husband -- a former Chhatra League leader -- and their two accomplices from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport when they were trying to leave the country.

The following day, Rab raided the house of Papia at Indira Road in Farmgate and recovered a foreign pistol, two magazines, 20 bullets, five bottles of foreign liquor, Tk 58,41,000 cash, credit and debit cards of different banks.

During their arrest, Rab members recovered seven passports, Tk 2,12,270, fake notes worth Tk 25,600, $11,481, 420 Sri Lankan rupees, 301 Indian rupees, and two debit cards from their possession.

On February 24, an arms case was filed against the couple with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Earlier on August 23, the same tribunal framed charges against the couple in the case.