ACC quizzes Khaleda over GATCO case

Trackback URL

Download PDF

The investigation officer of the GATCO scam case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 12 others on Thursday seized two files from the Cabinet Division after interrogating Khaleda at the special jail.
During the interrogation conducted by a three-member investigation team, Khaleda, also the BNP chairperson, claimed herself innocent of awarding the controversial container-handling contract to Global Agro Trade Company, said sources present during the quizzing.
They quoted Khaleda as telling the team that GATCO was awarded the contract in accordance with recommendations made by a technical committee and the cabinet committee for purchase.
According to the law, the cabinet committee forwarded the file on the contract to her for approval, which she did, Khaleda told the team, claiming that the approval was a mere formality.
ACC deputy director and IO of the case M Zahirul Huda, CID inspector Nurul Islam, and Major Mustafa Kamal interrogated her at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar special jail for about 45 minutes regarding her involvement in awarding the lucrative contract for container handling at inland container depots at Chittagong port and Kamlapur, Dhaka, to GATCO.
After the interrogation, Khaleda’s attorney Ahmed Azam Khan told the media that she had outright rejected the allegations and clearly told the investigation team that she and her younger son Arafat Rahman had no involvement in the scam.
‘Approving the appointment of the contractor for container handling was just an official formality, which had already been cleared by the cabinet committee on purchase. There was no instance that the prime minister did not sign a proposal approved by the purchase committee,’ Ahmed Azam quoted Khaleda as saying.
He said when the interrogators asked her whether she was influenced by anyone to approve the deal, Khaleda answered in the negative.
‘She also told them that her son Arafat never recommended anyone to her for anything, let alone a company,’ Ahmed said, adding that Khaleda also refused to approve the deal when the purchase committee raised questions about qualifications of the company.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case on September 2, accusing Khaleda and 12 others of indulging in corruption in awarding the container-handling contract to the company.
Before interrogating the prime accused, Khaleda, the commission also quizzed seven former ministers, six retired secretaries and a serving additional secretary of the communications ministry about the charges.
Ahmed said Khaleda wanted to meet her detained sons during the Eid-ul-Fitr and asked the authorities to allow her to celebrate the Eid with her sons, saying, if necessary, she was ready to apply formally.
Before the interrogation, another attorney of Khaleda, Masud Ahmed Talukder, met her.
Coming out of the special jail, Masud said Khaleda was surprised at the proposal floated by her former party colleague AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury for forming a government of national consensus for two consecutive terms.
‘There is a constitutional government in the country. No alternative measure will bring any good for the country,’ Masud quoted Khaleda as saying.
‘When the government is working as per its roadmap for holding the elections, such an idea will only confuse the nation. People will decide whom they will elect,’ Khaleda said, agreeing with the comment of Awami League leader Advocate Abdul Hamid that the notion of a national government comes only when the nation is in a crisis.

Leave a Reply