Dear Alochoks
Let’s hope that in the next 6 months the law moves directly against Hasina and Khaleda so that they are removed from our sight permanently.
And so that AL and BNP can start to grow up and behave like proper political parties.
Regards
Ezajur Rahman
Niko graft charges loom over Khaleda, Hasina
ACC probe finds ‘evidence of irregularities’ against two former PMs, 10 others
New Age 19/10/07
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The Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion is likely to sue the two detained former prime ministers – Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia – along with two state ministers of their cabinets, two former secretaries and five Bapex officials for alleged corruption in signing contracts with Canadian company Niko Resources.
‘The issue of Niko is at the stage of inquiry. Two investigation officers have been appointed for covering the periods of the two previous governments,’ ACC secretary Mokhles
Three gas fields—Kamta, Feni and Chhatak—were declared abandoned or marginal during the Awami League regime and the following BNP-led government signed a joint venture agreement with Niko for Feni and Chhatak fields.
‘There are allegations that the nation has incurred huge financial losses because of declaration of newly discovered gas fields as abandoned during the tenures of the two governments,’ Mokhles said.
According to sources in the commission, the inquiries have already found sufficient evidence for suing 11 or 12 people, including Hasina, Khaleda, former state minister for energy in Hasina’s cabinet Rafiqul Islam, former state minister for energy in Khaleda’s cabinet AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former energy secretaries Tawfiq Elahi, who served Hasina’s government, and Akmal Hossain, who served Khaleda’s government, and five officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company, for the deal.
The ACC may file the first information report against them in November, said a senior official.
The ACC secretary said, ‘If the probes find any irregularities in the declaration of the gas fields abandoned and the subsequent singing of the agreement, legal actions will be taken against the people responsible.’
Asked who might be accused, the ACC secretary said, ‘The case is under inquiry, which is now looking into the alleged involvement of the two former prime ministers, some ministers of their cabinets and some senior bureaucrats. We can give details after getting the inquiry report.’
Two officers have been probing the allegations for nearly three weeks and the inquiry is expected to be completed by November,’ he added.
After completing inquiry into the NIKO case, the ACC will lodge first information report against the people to be found responsible, and then the cases will be ready for trial in next 60 days in accordance with the commission’s rules.
About the latest corruption cases filed against the two former prime ministers in early September, the commission secretary said that unlike the GATCO scam case against Khaleda, investigation of the Khulna barge-mounted power-plant installation case against Hasina could not make much progress as the investigation of Hasina’s case started later because of legal battle.
A total of 66 people including seven former ministers and some bureaucrats and officials of
On Thursday, retired joint secretary of the planning commission, Talebur Rahman, and GATCO accountant Monirul Islam Sarder testified before the three-member probe team at the ACC headquarters.
The investigation team needs to quiz former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and former director of the prime minister’s office Mahmudul Karim, but the ACC is yet to know the whereabouts of Kamal Siddiqui, the commission secretary said.
Mahmudul Karim is now in
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