ACC finds clues to Padma Bridge graft conspiracy
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
FE Report
Chairman of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Ghulam Rahman, said the ACC inquiry team found substantial clues to corruption conspiracy regarding appointment of a consultant for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project.
He said the team found the evidence during its ongoing inquiry into allegation of graft in the bidding process of the country's largest infrastructure development scheme.
"We've found evidence of graft conspiracy and attempts of bribery were made in selecting the consultancy firm for the project," the ACC chairman told reporters while leaving his office Tuesday.
He said they would take legal action against those involved in the graft conspiracy immediately after getting the report in hand.
The ACC chairman said the Commission launched the second phase of probe into the Padma Bridge project so that it could be made credible and lawful.
Responding to a query, he said the expert panel of the World Bank (WB) might arrive in Dhaka on December 2 or December 3 to oversee the proceedings of the ACC's probe into the corruption allegation in the US$2.9 billion project.
ACC sources said the inquiry team would submit its findings to the commission on December 3 after re-interrogation of some key individuals, including former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for home affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury.
Both the former ministers have already been asked by the anti graft watchdog to physically meet the four-member inquiry team on December 3 to reply to some queries.
Meanwhile, the Commission on the day interrogated three officials of the Bridge Division and two others in connection with alleged irregularities in appointing Canadian company SNC-Lavalin as the consultant for the Padma bridge project.
The interrogation of the five officials was continuing at 4:30pm when the report was filed, said ACC sources.
The three officials of the Bridge Division were -- Senior Assistant Engineer Rajab Ali and Deputy Director (Finance and Accounts) Moniruzzamman and former Additional Chief Engineer Md Zafar Ullah.
Other officials were -- Abu Siddique, a professor of Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Sanowar Ali, a member of the National Housing Authority.
The ACC will discuss the probe report with the upcoming WB's panel and fix the next course of action to bring back the global lender into the project.
The Washington-based lender in June last suspended its promised finance for constructing the 6.1 kilometre long bridge over the Padma river on an allegation of corruption in the process of selecting a consultant for the scheme.
Later in September last, the WB decided to revive its US$1.2 billion finance for the scheme on some terms and conditions.
Chairman of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Ghulam Rahman, said the ACC inquiry team found substantial clues to corruption conspiracy regarding appointment of a consultant for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project.
He said the team found the evidence during its ongoing inquiry into allegation of graft in the bidding process of the country's largest infrastructure development scheme.
"We've found evidence of graft conspiracy and attempts of bribery were made in selecting the consultancy firm for the project," the ACC chairman told reporters while leaving his office Tuesday.
He said they would take legal action against those involved in the graft conspiracy immediately after getting the report in hand.
The ACC chairman said the Commission launched the second phase of probe into the Padma Bridge project so that it could be made credible and lawful.
Responding to a query, he said the expert panel of the World Bank (WB) might arrive in Dhaka on December 2 or December 3 to oversee the proceedings of the ACC's probe into the corruption allegation in the US$2.9 billion project.
ACC sources said the inquiry team would submit its findings to the commission on December 3 after re-interrogation of some key individuals, including former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for home affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury.
Both the former ministers have already been asked by the anti graft watchdog to physically meet the four-member inquiry team on December 3 to reply to some queries.
Meanwhile, the Commission on the day interrogated three officials of the Bridge Division and two others in connection with alleged irregularities in appointing Canadian company SNC-Lavalin as the consultant for the Padma bridge project.
The interrogation of the five officials was continuing at 4:30pm when the report was filed, said ACC sources.
The three officials of the Bridge Division were -- Senior Assistant Engineer Rajab Ali and Deputy Director (Finance and Accounts) Moniruzzamman and former Additional Chief Engineer Md Zafar Ullah.
Other officials were -- Abu Siddique, a professor of Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Sanowar Ali, a member of the National Housing Authority.
The ACC will discuss the probe report with the upcoming WB's panel and fix the next course of action to bring back the global lender into the project.
The Washington-based lender in June last suspended its promised finance for constructing the 6.1 kilometre long bridge over the Padma river on an allegation of corruption in the process of selecting a consultant for the scheme.
Later in September last, the WB decided to revive its US$1.2 billion finance for the scheme on some terms and conditions.