Ershad gets clean chit in radar scam case

A Dhaka court yesterday acquitted Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and three others accused of corruption in the 24-year-old radar purchase scam case.
The three other accused are former chiefs of Air Force Momtaz Uddin Ahmed and Sultan Mahmud, and former United Traders Ltd director AKM Musa.
Ershad, Momtaz and Sultan were present in the jam-packed courtroom when Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah delivered the verdict. The fourth accused, Musa, had died during the course of the case.
The judge ruled: “The prosecution has failed to prove the allegations that the accused had caused loss of state funds. Even the witnesses did not mention any allegations against the accused. Hence, the court is in doubut about the allegation of corruption.”
The court, however, added that the statements of two important witnesses—the then defence secretary MA Anisuzzaman and former law minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury—were not recorded or taken for this case. Hence, the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against the accused persons, the verdict noted.
The now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption had filed the case against the former president and three others in 1992. According to the charges, Ershad, in collusion with the others, allegedly caused a loss of Tk 64.04 crore to the state exchequer by purchasing radars from the US while in power.
On August 12, 1995, the trial court had framed charges against Ershad, Mahmud, Mamtazuddin and Musa.
Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, defence counsels advocate Shamsuddin Bablu and Sheikh Sirajul Islam said Ershad and the others were not involved in any corruption. 
However, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said the prosecution would decide on filing an appeal in the High Court after getting the full copy of the verdict.
The court came up with the verdict after a March 20 directive from the Supreme Court to resume trial in the 24-year-old case. A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, had passed the order after dismissing a petition filed by the ACC. 

Ershad gets clean chit in radar scam case

A Dhaka court yesterday acquitted Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and three others accused of corruption in the 24-year-old radar purchase scam case. The three other accused are former chiefs of Air Force Momtaz Uddin Ahmed and Sultan Mahmud, and former United Traders Ltd director AKM Musa. Ershad, Momtaz and Sultan were present in the jam-packed courtroom when Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah delivered the verdict. The fourth accused, Musa, had died during the course of the case. The judge ruled: The prosecution has failed to prove the allegations that the accused had caused loss of state funds. Even the witnesses did not mention any allegations against the accused. Hence, the court is in doubut about the allegation of corruption. The court, however, added that the statements of two important witnessesthe then defence secretary MA Anisuzzaman and former law minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhurywere not recorded or taken for this case. Hence, the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against the accused persons, the verdict noted. The now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption had filed the case against the former president and three others in 1992. According to the charges, Ershad, in collusion with the others, allegedly caused a loss of Tk 64.04 crore to the state exchequer by purchasing radars from the US while in power. On August 12, 1995, the trial court had framed charges against Ershad, Mahmud, Mamtazuddin and Musa. Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, defence counsels advocate Shamsuddin Bablu and Sheikh Sirajul Islam said Ershad and theothers were not involved in any corruption. However, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said the prosecution would decide on filing an appeal in the High Court after getting the full copy of the verdict. The court came up with the verdict after a March 20 directive from the Supreme Court to resume trial in the 24-year-old case. A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, had passed the order after dismissing a petition filed by the ACC.