ACC team starts to probe DCC graft

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The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday said it has formed a special team to investigate institutional corruption in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).

Besides, the ACC yesterday approved three separate charge sheets against former BNP lawmaker Shahidul Islam, former BRTC Chairman Taimur Alam Khandaker, and deputy forest conservator Laskar Maksudur Rahman.

Shahid will be charged for misappropriation of corrugated iron (CI) sheets meant for relief, Taimur for gaining personal benefits through abuse of power, and Laskar for amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Meanwhile, ACC yesterday approved that it will issue notices to three individuals including former state minister for education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, asking them to submit their wealth statements to the commission.

As part of the commission’s ongoing effort to scrutinise institutional corruption, the special team will investigate alleged illegal activities carried out by various departments and offices of the DCC.

The ACC investigators will scrutinise a wide range of irregularities including causing loss to the state exchequer; irregularities and manipulation in process of tender, allocation of shops at markets owned by the DCC and leasing out of markets and bus stands; irregularities in purchase of fuel, larvicide, pesticide and equipment for mosquito control; irregularities in purchase, selling and repairing of automobiles; and irregularities in construction of roads, embankments, multi-storeyed buildings, markets and the Jatrabari fly over.

Col Hanif Iqbal, director general (admin) of the ACC, gave an account of the recent steps taken by the ACC to journalists during a routine press briefing yesterday afternoon.

The commission has already sent a letter in this regard to the DCC, asking it to provide all-out cooperation to the ACC investigators and also assign a DCC official who will act as a liaison officer during the ACC investigations.

ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury is the team leader of the ACC special team.

Other members of the team are ACC Assistant Directors Mojahar Ali Sarder, Mahbubul Alam and Toufiqul Islam, and ACC Deputy Assistant Director Chowdhury MN Alam.

The investigation team will have the authority to visit any office or department under the DCC. If necessary, the ACC team will coordinate with the task force that is already conducting investigations at the DCC for the last few months.

The ACC earlier formed task force teams to investigate irregularities at Roads and Highways Department and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

CHARGE SHEETS
The charge sheet against Shahidul Islam will be submitted under sections 409 and 420 of penal code, section 5 (2) of corruption prevention act 1947, and 17 (ka) of ACC act 2004 for misappropriating Tk 84,599 worth of CI sheets meant for relief.

The charge sheet against Taimur, the former BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) chairman, will be submitted under section 409, 420 and 109 of penal code and section 5 (2) of corruption prevention act 1947 for selling 167 CNG auto rickshaws at double the price.

The charge sheet against Laskar will charge him for concealing information about Tk 2,12,24,665 worth of wealth from the ACC and amassing Tk 41,88,947 worth of wealth through means beyond his known sources of income. His wife Mahfuza Sulatana will also be charged for abetting her husband.

Meanwhile, five persons including former Rupali bank managing director Abdul Hamid Mian and general manager Mainul Haque submitted their wealth statement to the ACC during the last two days.

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