Anti Corruption Commission Deputy Director and also an Investigation Officer (IO) in the radar purchase corruption case Manjur Ahmed told a Dhaka court on Thursday that accused former President and JP chief Hussein Mohammad Ershad took financial advantage through the purchase.Dhaka Divisional Special Judge Md Nurul Islam recorded the depositions of the accused and adjourned the hearing of the case till August 14.
Eleventh witness of the case Manjur disclosed the findings of the investigation report to court. He said that the accused took financial advantages through mutual conspiracy.
Ali Haider, an official of the now-defunct Anti-Corruption Bureau, filed the case with Dhaka Cantonment Police Station on April 4, 1992.
In the case, the complainant stated that Ershad misusing his official capacity and in collusion with other accused purchased radars from the US instead of France despite higher prices and thereby caused a loss of Tk 640.4 million to the national exchequer and the money was misappropriated by them.
The investigators submitted the charge sheet against five accused in the case on November 27, 1994 and the court framed charges against them on August 12, 1995.
Two former air force chiefs- Sultan Mahmud and Momtaj Uddin Ahmed are also accused in the case and they were present in the court. Another accussed AKM Musa of United Traders is on the run. Charges were later dropped against former director of United Traders Shahzad Ali.
– Court Correspondent
