4 ex-alliance ministers quizzed at jail gate

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Detained former ministers Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Motiur Rahman Nizami, M Shamsul Islam and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday denied any wrongdoing in awarding the Barapukuria coalmine deal to CMC, saying they “only” approved the deal on the basis of recommendations from the ministry concerned.

“We did not get much time–we generally go through matters referred to us in a short time and approve them,” they were quoted as saying by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Monirul Haque, the investigation officer of the case.

The ACC deputy director quizzed the four former ministers separately at the gate of Dhaka Central Jail between 11:30am and 4:30pm.

Lawyers of Nizami and Shamsul were present during the questioning of their clients.

ACC Deputy Director Monirul told reporters at the jail gate that the investigation into the Barapukuria graft case is at the final stage and submission of the charge sheet depends on the authority concerned.

Monirul interrogated Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and former industries minister Nizami for about two hours, former LGRD minister Mannan Bhuiyan for about 35 minutes, former information minister Shamsul Islam for half an hour and former health minister Mosharraf Hossain for two hours.

“We will counter their arguments on the basis of documents,” the ACC official told reporters.

“The CMC was awarded the coalmine deal without a re-tender, which caused a loss of about Tk 158 crore to the exchequer,” Monirul said, adding, “The CMC, which was the third lowest bidder, was awarded the deal instead of the second lowest bidder.”

The lowest bidder had won the coal production and management deal but did not get the work as it increased the rate after winning the deal.

“I asked them why a re-tender was not floated and why CMC was awarded instead of the second lowest bidder,” Monirul said, adding that the former ministers said they would have fallen in trouble if they had not approved the deal.

He said the other accused in the case, including Jamaat Secretary General and former social welfare minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, former commerce minister Air Vice-Marshall (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, would also be quizzed soon.

Nizami’s counsel Abdur Razzaq told The Daily Star that Nizami said, “The case has been filed illegally to harass me…I am innocent as the matter was not related to my ministry.”

Nizami told the investigator that he was included in the purchase committee later and there was no provision to give a note of dissent.

He asked the ACC deputy director why names of ministers were included in the Barapukuria graft case instead of the then cabinet secretary’s name.

Mannan Bhuiyan and Khandaker Mosharraf talked to the investigating officer themselves, alleging that they had not been informed about the quizzing, so they could not have their lawyers present during the questioning.

The ACC deputy director, however, told reporters that the commission had informed the four accused about yesterday’s questioning five-six days ago through the jail authority.

“Besides, Mannan Bhuiyan and Mosharraf Hossain told me that they would not need any lawyer,” he added.

On February 26, ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station against detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, 10 former ministers of her cabinet and five others on charge of awarding the Barapukuria coalmine deal to the highest bidder instead of the lowest.

Former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, Mannan Bhuiyan, Nizami and Mojaheed are the heavyweights among the ministers of the immediate past BNP-led coalition government accused in the case.

The other accused are former telecommunications minister Aminul Haque, former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former energy secretary Nazrul Islam, former Petrobangla chairman and incumbent BSCIC Chairman SR Osmani, former Petrobangla director Moinul Ahsan, former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Sirajul Islam and Hossaf Group Chairman Moazzem Hossain.

Upon an application of the investigating officer, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate passed an order on May 14 for questioning Khaleda at the makeshift jail on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.

The ACC quizzed Khaleda on May 24.

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