Former forest chief confesses to graft

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Detained former chief conservator of forest Munshi Anwarul Islam yesterday confessed to a magistrate that he amassed a huge amount of wealth illegally when he was the forest boss.

Meanwhile, detained former state minister for liberation war affairs ministry Redwan Ahmed was shown arrested in the case filed in connection with amassing wealth illegally.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Hemayet Uddin recorded the statement of the forest boss after investigation officer (IO) Mirza Zahidul Alam, assistant director of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), brought Anwar to the magistrate’s chamber.

On October 23, ACC Assistant Director SM Sahidur Rahman filed the case with Ramna Police Station against Anwar on charge of amassing illegal wealth and providing false statement about his property to the anti-corruption watchdog.

The complainant in his first information report (FIR) stated that although the former top forest boss drew a total salary of Tk 30.49 lakh during his stint at the top position of the forest department, he accumulated wealth to the tune of Tk 2.9 crore in his name and in the names of his wife, sons and relatives between 1996 and 2007.

During scrutiny of the wealth statement he handed in to the ACC on June 14, he was also found to have concealed information about property worth about Tk 83 lakh, added the complainant.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani passed the order against Redwan Ahmed after ACC Assistant Director Shahin Ara Momtaj, the IO of the case, submitted a petition for showing Redwan arrested in the case.

On December 19, Shahin filed the case against the former state minister and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidium member and his wife Momtaj Ahmed.

In the case, the complainant said Redwan illegally accumulated Tk 2.31 crore and did not show property worth Tk 1.37 crore in his wealth statement. Redwan submitted the wealth statement through jail authorities on August 14 following an ACC notice issued on August 7.

Momtaj was included in the case as she abetted her husband in accumulating and concealing the wealth.

Shahbagh police arrested Redwan soon after his release from the Prison Cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Friday evening.

He was first arrested at his Baridhara home in the city on June 26 under Section 16(2) of the EPR. He was later shifted to the Prison Cell of BSMMU from Dhaka Central Jail due to heart ailments.

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