Mon, Aug 8th, 2011 1:39 pm BdST

http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=202927&cid=3

Dhaka, Aug 8 (bdnews24.com) – A court in Dhaka has indicted BNP's senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and his businessman friend Giasuddin Al Mamun in a money laundering case.

The court of Special Judge-3 Mohammad Mozammel Hossain also issued an arrest warrant against Tarique, the elder son of BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on Monday. Tarique currently lives in London.

Mamun was present in the court when the decision came from Hossain in the crucial case. Mamun claimed his innocence before the judge.

The court fixed Sept 11 for the next hearing of the case when the court would record depositions of the witnesses.

The indictment means the formal trial will begin in the case, no matter, whether Tarique surrenders or not.

Defence lawyers Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, Rafikul Islam Mia, Mahbubuddin Khokon and Fakhrul Islam argued against the indictment. They appealed that the charge-framing be adjourned until the verdict on a review petition filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against a High Court order rejecting Tarique's plea to halt the trial proceedings was issued.

State counsel Anisul Haque and Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said it would be "illogical" if the charges were not framed as the High Court did not make any instruction that could stop the indictment.

According to the case filed by the ACC, Tarique and Mamun allegedly channelled funds worth over Tk 204 million or $ 2.73 million out to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.

The fund was allegedly taken in bribes from Khadiza Islam, director of Nirman Construction Limited, for helping it bag contract of an 80MW power plant at Tongi.

The main opposition BNP has rejected the charges, saying it is designed to malign the family of late president Ziaur Rahman.

Tarique is facing 14 cases on charges of corruption and extortion against him.

Tarique is widely accused of running a government parallel to his mother's in 2001-06 from Khaleda's Hawa Bhaban office in Gulshan.

Earlier on July 25, the same court had asked Tarique to appear in person before the judge on Monday. As he did not show up, the court decided to go ahead as the prosecution pressed for the next phase to formally begin the trial.

Monday's farming of charges came after the judge deferred the procedure for the fourth time with the latest on July 25.

The court's July 25 decision came after a plea from lawyers of Tarique and his Mamun that the hearing needed to be deferred as they were preparing to file the review petition with the Appellate Division.

On Jul 12, the High Court dismissed the petition of Tarique, who is at London now, as it was not placed by him.

On May 5, Dhaka's Senior Special Judge's Court took into cognisance the charges against Tarique and Mamun in the money laundering case and had set May 19 for framing the charges.

The trial will continue under the 2002 Money Laundering Act as per a Supreme Court order, not under the revised one of 2009.

The ACC filed the case on Oct 26, 2009 and pressed charges on July 6 last year.

After Tarqiue's arrest on Mar 7, 2007 during the state of emergency, Tarique flew to London with his family for medical treatment on Sep 11, 2008 ahead of national elections through which Sheikh Hasina-led alliance came to power. He has since been living there.

The Awami League has accused Tarique of masterminding the attack in the Hawa Bhaban to kill prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who then was the opposition leader.

Khaleda's youngest son Arafat Rahman Coco was also jailed for six years and fined Tk 190.41 million on June 23 for siphoning off SGD 2,884,000 and USD 932,000 to Singapore in a separate case.