Sayedee's War Crimes Trial
Defence completes cross-examining IO
Taking 48 days, the counsel of Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee completed the cross-examination of the investigation officer (IO) of a case against Sayedee at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday.
Criticising a parliamentary committee's recent move to find out Sayedee's real name, his lawyer Mizanul Islam later told journalists that the case was filed only to wreak political vengeance.
“It is a misfortune for the nation that a parliamentary probe committee was formed to find his (Sayedee) name,” Mizanul said, adding, without elaborating, that the matter had been settled.
Sayedee's counsel had failed to meet the August 8 cross-examination deadline and the tribunal, on that day, rescheduled it to yesterday's date.
The IO, Assistant Superintendent of Police Helal Uddin, deposed for nine days starting from April 8.
Mizanul ended the cross-examination around 1:45pm with a question on whether the IO's deposition was true. The IO replied it was.
On the deposition of an absentee witness, Mukunda Chakrawarty, who died on April 24, Helal said he had recorded Mukunda's deposition during his investigation.
Mizanul then suggested that the IO had not made any attempt to bring Mukunda before the tribunal before his death and Mukunda was unwilling to give deposition against Sayedee.
“It (Mizanul's statement) is not true”, said Helal.
Mizanul then said it was untrue that 25 houses, including Mukunda's, were looted and set on fire. “It (Mizanul's statement) is not true,” said Helal.
Mizanul claimed that Helal could not answer at least 25 percent of their questions, meaning he did not conduct any investigation at all.
He added that the IO had mentioned seven villages of Pirojpur which were completely destroyed under Sayedee's directives during the 1971 Liberation War. “But they (the prosecution) could not produce any witness from those villages,” he said.
“He (Mizanul) cannot make such allegations. He himself cross-examined the witnesses from these villages,” said the prosecutor, Syed Haidar Ali.
Haidar said the IO conducted the probe well and answered all questions of the defence.
A total of 28 witnesses, including the IO, gave deposition against Sayedee and were cross-examined by the defence. The tribunal also took the statements of 16 absentee witnesses as testimony.
Sayedee is facing 20 specific charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
The tribunal will fix the proceedings of the case today.
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