Hearing of Ershad's gold smuggling case resumes today
Court Correspondent
The hearing on the gold smuggling case filed against former president and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad will resume today. Judge Mohammad SM Mujibur Rahman of the First Additional Metropolitan Session Judge's Court will hear statements from any witness of the case. Earlier on September 20 and October 19, the court had recorded statements of four prosecution witnesses (PWs) who told the court that they knew nothing about the allegations against Ershad. Moreover, the court also issued summons upon all the witnesses including the investigation officer (IO) to appear before it today. They are--Fakir Ashraf, former joint collector of National Board of Revenue (NBR), Pandab Chandra Barman, assistant arms and explosives expert of Dhaka deputy commissioner's office, Mohammad Ali, former secretary to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Affairs Ministry and Sheikh Mohammad Ali Haider, an inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The last date of recording deposition of the PW-3 Azimuddin Ahmed, then secretary of energy and mineral resources ministry, was on February 14, 2000. Since then, no witnesses appeared before the court, despite taking necessary steps. A team of customs officials held four people including two foreign nationals at Zia International Airport on July 17, 1990 when they were attempting to smuggle around 3.6 kg gold worth about Tk 2.5 crore into Bangladesh, the prosecution said. A smuggling case was filed with the Cantonment Police Station the same day against the four -- Bernhard Rudiger of Germany, David Anthony Chalmar Chaker of England, then manager of the Zia International Airport Maj (Retd) Ashraf Uddin Sekender and Abu Taher, a security guard of the airport. During investigation, the IO found evidence of Ershad's involvement in the smuggling and his name was included in the charge sheet. Rudiger, Chalmar Chaker, Ashraf and Taher were convicted and sent to prison on different terms on May 14, 1992. The trial against Ershad did not start due to a stay order from the High Court. Ershad was acquitted and discharged of four graft cases in the last two months after his announcement to join the four-party alliance.
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