Dear Alochoks
It’s great to see the Caretaker Government, via the Anti Corruption Committee, in dynamic action against the governments of Khaleda and Hasina, in spite of recent difficulties.
May the truth be told and may criminals be treated as criminals.
Regards
Ezajur Rahman
Saifur, Bhuiyan, six other ex-ministers to be quizzed
Courtesy Daily Star 24/9/07
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will question eight former ministers, including M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Matiur Rahman Nizami tomorrow in connection with a graft case filed against detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
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"The cabinet ministers of the government purchase committee will be questioned and they have been summoned to appear before the commission on September 25 as the case is sensitive and holds public importance," said ACC Secretary Mukhles Ur Rahman.
The cabinet purchase committee had approved the awarding of the container handling work at Dhaka Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Chittagong Port ICD yard to Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (GATCO) despite its alleged lack in experience and skills, sources said.
The former ministers are finance minister Saifur Rahman, LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami, agriculture minister MK Anwar, health minister Khandaker Musharraf, information minister M Shamsul Islam, commerce minister Amir Khasru Chowdhury and state minister for energy minister AKM Musharraf Hossain.
The ACC has already taken permission from the court to question two detained former ministers--Khandaker Musharraf and AKM Musharraf Hossain--in jail.
On Wednesday it issued letters to the ministers asking them to appear before the commission.
ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 11 others.
The other accused in the case are former chairmen of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) 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, former shipping minister and BNP leader Col (retd) Akbar Hossain's son Ismail Hossain Simon, GATCO directors Syed Galib Ahmed, Syed Tanveer Ahmed and AKM Musa Kajol and Akbar's wife Jahanara Ansar and one Ehsan Yusuf.
The ACC brought that case under the Emergency Power Rules on September 17 and arrested six of the accused on September 22. They are Shahadat Hossain, Luthful Kabir, Sanwar Hossain, Ahmed Abul Qashem, Galib Ahmed and Tanveer Ahmed.
In the case statement, it was alleged that the former PM and her son violated conditions by influencing the tender process and that the CPA officials helped GATCO win the tender although a three-member evaluation committee of the port had declared GATCO unfit for the work.
The complaint added that the government purchase committee at a meeting also found GATCO lacking experience and the proposal was not processed following due rules. The meeting unanimously rejected the proposal and recommended re-tendering the work.
The case statement said soon after the documents of the tender reached the Prime Minister's Office, Khaleda took initiatives to give GATCO the job, misusing her position and without taking into account the objections of the evaluation and purchase committees.
The complaint added that Koko influenced his mother after Simon agreed to pay him money for getting the work.
The committee later approved the proposal.
The arrested were produced before the Senior Sessions Judge's Court yesterday afternoon with the petition for sending them to jail.
The arrested GATCO directors gave judicial statements before Magistrate Abdullahel Baki. Details of the statement could not be known immediately, but a source in the court said the statements make clear the involvement of Koko and Simon in the dealings.
Following defence lawyers' appeal the court ordered providing medical facilities to the accused in jail and giving them facilities in accordance with jail code.
[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
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