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Download PDF The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) officials yesterday questioned two more detained former ministers at Dhaka Central Jail gate in the case filed in connection with illegally awarding the Barapukuria coalmine deal to Chinese company CMC.
Former commerce minister air vice-marshall (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury was brought to Dhaka from Narayanganj jail around 11:00am and questioned for over an hour in presence of his lawyer. He was sent back in the evening.
After the questioning of Altaf, an ACC team led by Deputy Director (DD) Munirul Huq, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, interrogated former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain for an hour from 12:15pm. He was brought to Dhaka from Kashimpur jail in Gazipur and sent back in the afternoon.
Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (DIG-Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique said, “During the interrogation, the lawyer of Altaf was present and Altaf was allowed to consult with his attorney before the interrogation.”
“Mosharraf’s lawyer, however, was not present during the interrogation,” the DIG-Prisons said.
On May 27, the ACC interrogated four former ministers Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, M Shamsul Islam and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at the Dhaka Central Jail gate in connection with the case.
Jamaat Secretary General and former social welfare minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was interrogated Thursday.
ACC sources said the investigation into the case is at the final stages and submission of the charge sheet now depends on higher authorities concerned.
“The CMC was awarded the coalmine deal without a re-tender causing a loss of about Tk 158 crore to the national exchequer,” said IO Monirul, adding, “The CMC, the third lowest bidder, was awarded the deal instead of the second lowest bidder.”
The lowest bidder which had won the coal production and management deal did not get the work as it increased its bid after winning the deal.
The ACC 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.
The other accused are former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, former telecommunications minister Aminul Haque, 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.
Following a plea of the IO, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate passed an order May 14 allowing him to question Khaleda at the makeshift jail on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises. The ACC quizzed Khaleda on May 24.
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