ACC approves plea to bring graft case against Hasina under EPR

FE Team | Published: September 21, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved the investigating officer's (IO) application to bring the Tk 30 million (3.0 crore) graft case filed against detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and six others under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR), 2007 with the accused not eligible for bail, reports UNB.
The anti-graft watchdog on September 2 lodged the case with Tejgaon police station accusing Hasina of taking Tk 30 million (3.0 crore) from the Summit Group and the United Group of companies in exchange for permission to set up a barge-mounted power plant in Khulna.
"The Commission approved Wednesday the application of IO Morshed Alam, a deputy director, to bring the case filed earlier for corruption in constructing power plant in Haripur, Shikolbaha and Khulna under the EPRs. Few individuals are accused and one of them is former honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," ACC secretary Mokhles ur Rahman said during the Commission's regular briefing Thursday.
"Since the case has been brought under EPR, it will now be a non-bailable case," he said.
Citing the reasons behind the Commission's action, Mokhles said the IO in his application mentioned that as the case has public interest and country's financial loss is concerned, it should be brought under the EPR for proper investigation.
With this development, the cases of Hasina and another detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia filed by the ACC on the same day were brought under the EPR.
On September 17, the Commission approved the application of the IO to bring the case against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman and 11 others under the EPR.
Khaleda was accused of illegally awarding contract to a private firm for handling container cargo at Kamalapur inland container terminal (ICT) and Chittagong Port by abusing power in 2003, gained financial benefits and thus caused a loss of Tk 10 billion (1,000 crore) to the national exchequer.
Responding to a question in the briefing, ACC secretary Mokhles said that to the best of his knowledge the filing of case against detained BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman was not approved by the Commission.
He said the ACC has already written to concerned controlling authorities like Establishment Secretary, National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman and additional inspector general of police to take necessary action after investigations against employees of the respective departments including one deputy secretary against whom complaints were earlier lodged with the Commission.
The controlling authorities have been asked to inform the Commission after taking actions, he added.