Niko graft: SC order on Khaleda plea Nov 24

The Supreme Court today fixed November 24 for passing an order on a leave to appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking a stay on trial proceedings against her in Niko graft case.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha set the date after holding hearing on the petition.
Khaleda filed the petition on December 7 last year challenging a High Court verdict that cleared the way for the lower court to run the trial proceedings in the case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case in December, 2007 accusing Khaleda and several others of abusing power to award a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko when she was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.
The anti-graft body pressed charges against Khaleda and 10 others in May 2008. Two months later the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case.
On June 18 last year, the HC cleared the way for the trial proceedings to resume.
Former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Kashem Sharif, vice-president (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd, are also accused in the case.