Ministry of Shipping launches probe

The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has launched an investigation against five officers and employees, including Captain Gias Uddin Ahmed, chief examiner and chief nautical surveyor (current charge) of the Department of Shipping (DoS), on charges of illegal monetary transactions, reports UNB.
These officers had been engaged in illegal money transactions over second-class mastership examinations conducted under the DoS, according to allegations.
The other four employees under investigation are: Abdul Aziz, office assistant of the DoS, Nazrul Islam, office assistant, Asad, and Md Swapan Islam.
Suraiya Parveen Shelley, additional secretary to the MoS, has been assigned to carry out the investigation.
They have been accused of exchanging Tk 2.24 million through a syndicate in the second-class mastership examination held on June 6 of this year.
Sources at the MoS said Suraiya Parveen has set October 16 as the date for the field investigation.
Besides, the additional secretary has written to the director general of the DoS on October 2, requesting the appointment of an officer to assist in the investigation.
When contacted, Commodore Md Maksud Alam, the director general of the DoS, said his office has already received a letter from the ministry.
Regarding the appointment of an officer from his department to assist the investigation officer, the chief of the DoS stated that he is yet to select anyone but will nominate a suitable officer soon.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has already initiated a formal investigation against Gias Uddin for the alleged acquisition of assets beyond known sources of income.