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Download PDF The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved bringing the Tk 3 crore graft case filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others under the emergency power rules (EPR).
“The commission on Wednesday permitted bringing the case under EPR and the case will be non-bailable,” ACC Secretary Mukhlesur Rahman told journalists at a briefing at the ACC head office yesterday.
The case is brought under section 15/19 (j) of EPR, 2007 following a petition by the investigation officer (IO) of the case ACC Deputy Director Morshed Alam.
“As the case involves public interest and financial loss of the country, it is brought under EPR in the interest of the investigation,” the ACC secretary said explaining the commission’s move.
The home ministry and the court would now decide by which period the case would be disposed of and the punishment to be dealt, Mukhlesur Rahman added.
ACC Deputy Director Sabbir Hasan lodged the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2, complaining that Hasina and the six others used their influence to help Wartsila Power Development Ltd Consortium and its local partners — Summit Group and United Group — win a deal for setting up 100MW barge-mount power plants in Haripur, Khulna and Shikalbaha, depriving the lowest bidder.
The case statement said that Hasina, the then prime minister, received kickbacks of Tk 3 crore from the three companies from October 24, 1996 to November 24, 1997. The amount was spent for buying a house in Dhanmondi for Bangabandhu Memorial Trust set up and controlled by Hasina.
The other accused in the case are former energy secretary Dr Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal, Managing Director of Summit Industries and Mercantile Corporation Private Ltd Aziz Khan and Director Farid Khan, United Group Chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja and Director Abul Kalam Azad.
None of the accused will be eligible to get bail now following the ACC approval of bringing the case under EPR.
The joint forces arrested Sheikh Hasina on July 16 in a Tk 3 crore extortion case filed by Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Private Trading Ltd, also a power company.
On September 17, the ACC also brought the container handling case filed against another detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia on September 2 under EPR.
In the case filed by ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury with Tejgaon Police Station, Khaleda, her younger son Koko and 11 others were charged with corruption and misuse of power to help Global Agro Trade (Private) Company Ltd (GATCO), an indenting house, win the tender for container handling at Dhaka Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Chittagong Port ICD yard.
IO of the case Jahirul Huda filed a petition on September 5 recommending that the case should be brought under EPR.
Meanwhile, the ACC secretary also confirmed yesterday that the proposed ACC service rule ensures that all the ACC officers and employees would be given promotion based on their merit, qualifications and honesty at work.
Under this rule, an ACC officer or employee will get promotion at least twice during his service.
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