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Download PDF The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is likely to submit today the charge sheet against detained former premier Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others for illegally awarding container-handling job at two container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong to Gatco.
Meanwhile, detained former state minister for youth and sports Fazlur Rahman Patal was yesterday shown arrested in a case filed against him for amassing assets illegally.
GATCO CASE
Sources said the investigation officer (IO) ACC Deputy Director Johirul Huda is expected to submit the charge sheet against Khaleda, her son and 22 others to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka today.
ACC finally approved the charge sheet against Khaleda, Koko and 22 others for committing the offences on April 8.
The first information report (FIR) of the case has earlier accused 13 people of illegally awarding the container-handling job at Dhaka Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Chittagong Port ICD Yard to Global Agro Trade (Private) Co Ltd (Gatco).
Of the 22 other accused, 11 –including eight former ministers of the BNP-Jamaat alliance — have been indicted in the charge sheet.
ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the case with the Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda, Koko and 11 others on September 2 last year.
The seven former ministers from BNP indicted in the case are — former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former health minister Dr Khandakar Mosharraf, former land minister M Shamsul Islam, former agriculture minister MK Anwar, former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain.
Former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami is the only one from Jamaat-e-Islami.
This charge sheet is also the only one against any top-ranking Jamaat leader since the present caretaker government assumed power.
Others indicted in the charge sheet are former shipping secretary Zulfikar Haider Chowdhury, former member of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed, and Gatco Director Shahjahan M Hasib.
The others accused in the FIR are former CPA chairmen Commodore (retd) Zulfiqur Ali and AMM Shahadat Hossain, former CPA director (transport) AM Sanwar Hossain, former chief finance and accounts officer Ahmed Abul Qashem, former director Luthful Kabir, Ismail Hossain Simon — son of former shipping minister and BNP leader Col (retd) Akbar Hossain, Akbar’s wife Jahanara Ansar, Gatco directors Syed Galib Ahmed, Syed Tanveer Ahmed, AKM Musa Kajol and Ehsan Yusuf.
The accused are charged with causing a loss of Tk 14,56,37,616.92 to the state by striking the container-handling deal with Gatco.
CASE AGAINST PATAL
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabani passed the order after ACC Assistant Director Helaluddin Sharif, also the IO, submitted a petition for showing Fazlur Rahman Patal arrested in the case.
ACC filed the case against the BNP leader, his wife Kamrunnahar and son Yasir Arshad Rajan for amassing assets beyond known sources of income and concealing wealth information on April 15.
According to the FIR, the now detained former state minister for youth and sports accumulated wealth worth around Tk 7.38 crore through dishonest means. He also held back information about assets worth around Tk 4.42 crore in his wealth statement.
His wife and son were accused of aiding and abetting him in the acts.
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