The High Court on Wednesday asked the ACC to complete its inquiry into the financial anomalies amounting Tk 4.77 billion at Essential Drug Company Ltd as per law.
The court also ordered the anti-corruption commission (ACC) to submit its report on completion of the probe into the only state-owned pharmaceutical company of the country.
The HC has also asked to take appropriate action if the allegations are found true.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after disposing of a Suo Motu (an action taken by a court of its own accord) rule issued earlier by the court.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan who represented the ACC during the hearing said, "The HC delivered its verdict after disposing of the rule issued in this regard."
Earlier on March 12 this year, the court asked the ACC to conduct an inquiry into the anomalies and submit a report within two months.
It also issued a rule questioning the inaction and failure of the concerned government bodies to take appropriate legal action against the persons or entities involved in embezzling huge amounts of money from the pharmaceutical company through unethical practices and gross irregularities.
The HC bench passed the order on a Suo Motu (an action taken by a court of its own accord) move after considering a newspaper report published on the irregularities of the drug producing company.
A Bangla daily published the report on March 11 under the banner of "Durnitir Akhra Essential Drugs : Sorkari Audite 32 Oniyom, 477 Koti taka lopat (Corruption hotspot Essential Drugs : Govt audit finds 32 irregularities, Tk 4.77 billion looted)".
According to the published report, "EDCL is a cent percent government-owned company. The picture of major financial corruption has been emerged even in the government audit of the institution located in Tejgaon of the capital. In the audit report of the fiscal year 2020-21, the institution has suffered a financial loss of Tk 4.77 billion due to 32 serious irregularities."
Irregularities found in the audit of the Health Audit Department included recruitment-trading, tender-trading, showing less production of drugs than the raw materials used, not producing quality drugs without using the right amount of raw materials, taking allowances in the name of picnic and others.
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