The investigation into much-talked-about Padma Bridge graft conspiracy case has been virtually put on hold as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has failed to collect required information yet.
After submission of a partial probe report in March last, no visible headway could be made in the investigation process until now. The Commission has so far failed to collect documents from the Canadian authorities, top ACC officials said.
Anti-graft watchdog chairman M Badiuzzaman told the FE that it was impossible for the ACC to complete the inquiry without getting required information from the Canadian authorities. Moreover, some officials of the SNC-Lavalin, a Canadian engineering giant, are accused in cases both in Bangladesh and Canada. As they are facing proceedings in a Canadian court, the ACC would not be able to get any information unless the Canadian court completes its process, he said.
"We tried several times to collect information for completing the inquiry, but failed as they (Canadian court) declined to give us any document without completing the hearing in the case," he said.
Mr Badiuzzaman said the lingering judicial process of Canada has made the ACC investigation complicated and it is difficult to say when the inquiry will be completed.The Commission's Secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury said recently that they would continue the investigation.On December 17, 2012, the ACC filed a case against seven persons for their alleged involvement in the Padma Bridge project graft conspiracy dropping the names of key suspects, namely, former Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain and former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury.The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the meantime has already charged Abul Hasan Chowdhury.The RCMP also brought charges against Canadian citizen Zulfiquar Ali Bhuiyan and former vice president (international project division) of SNC Lavalin Kevin Wallace.The accused in the case are former Secretary of the Bridge Division Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, superintendent engineer (river control) of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Kazi M Ferdous, executive engineer (bridge construction and maintenance) of the Roads and Highways Department M Riaz Ahmed Zaber, deputy managing director of the Engineer and Planning Consultant Limited Mohammad Mustafa, former director (international project division) of SNC Lavalin Inc Mohammad Ismail, former vice president (international project division) of SNC Lavalin Ramesh Shah and former vice-president of SNC Lavalin Kevin Wallace.ACC officials said most of the accused of the case, arrested at different times and now on bail, have joined their jobs including the former Bridge Division secretary.The ACC Chairman said as the investigation has reached a complicated stage. The Commission did not restrain the accused from resuming their duties, he said."There is no legal bar too in this regard," he said.On March 3 last, the four-member inquiry team of the ACC, led by its deputy director Mirza Zahidul Alam, submitted the partial report on the investigation to the Commission and accused seven persons of being involved in the graft conspiracy.The report also said, without getting information from the Canadian court, it is not possible for them to complete the inquiry.ACC sources said the two officials of SNC-Lavalin Ramesh Shah and Mohammad Ismail were accused of trying to bribe Bangladeshi officials to secure contracts for supervision and construction of the Padma Bridge and an elevated expressway in Dhaka.The ACC chief said the Commission sent a team to Canada twice to collect necessary information about the graft conspiracy. But, the team failed to get the info related to the case.There are now two key challenges before the ACC authority to finish the investigation of the case. These relate to seizure of Ramesh Shah's diary where he allegedly wrote down the percentage of money they offered to Bangladesh officials to secure the contract, and interrogation of the three Canadian nationals who were the SNC-Lavanin officials allegedly linked to the graft conspiracy.The alleged graft conspiracy prompted the World Bank to suspend a $1.2 billion loan for the country's the Padma Bridge project. Later, the Asian Development Bank and JICA, two other co-financers, also pulled out of the project.The World Bank banned SNC-Lavalin for 10 years in all its projects over the bribery conspiracy. It also blacklisted more than 100 associate firms of SNC-Lavalin for one year.
Lack of info from Canada stalls ACC investigation
Md Shah Jahan | Published: February 08, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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