JS body team at Ctg Port to probe project graft

CHITTAGONG, Feb 25: A sub-committee of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) visited different Chittagong Port projects on Tuesday as part of investigation into alleged irregularities.
MA Latif MP from the Patenga-Port constituency is heading the Parliamentary Standing Committee sub-committee on the Shipping Ministry.
Two other Members of Parliament (MPs) are Nazrul Islam and Anwarul Azim.
 Members of the Chittagong Port Advisory Committee ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury MP and Shamsul Haque Chowdhury MP also joined the probe team.
 At a media briefing at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NMCT) on Tuesday MA Latif said they had started investigation into the allegations of corruption and irregularities in six specific projects relating to procurement and automation system installation at the prime maritime port.
 "Other things beyond these allegations may also come out in the process of investigation," he said.
 "We'll scrutinise the papers and submit our findings to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry. We may visit the port again if required," he added.
 When asked, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman Rear Admiral Nizam Uddin Ahmed said the CPA had implemented the projects as per the PPA (Public Procurement Act) rules.
Under the projects the CPA procured three second-hand ships for plying between Chittagong and Pangaon ICT (Inland Container Terminal), an ambulance ship apart from automation of the container management system and recruitment of employees and officers. Allegations of corruption cropped up over the projects.