Sircar drew Tk 2.7m 'illegally': JS probe
Monday, 13 April 2009
The parliamentary probe body investigating corruption charges against former speaker Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar has said the speaker of the eighth parliament took more than Tk 2.7 million from the public exchequer "without lawful authority", reports bdnews24.com.
"The speaker himself in an official note has admitted that he may have drawn the Tk 27,86,000 'unlawfully' for his treatment," Fazle Rabbi Mian, the committee head, told reporters after a meeting Sunday.
Fazle Rabbi said the probe committee at its second meeting discussed only Sircar's past medical expenses. He said Sircar, now an MP of the opposition BNP, as the speaker in 2006 sent a file to the then prime minister Khaleda Zia for approval of money for his by-pass surgery. "But she did not approve."
"Then the speaker wrote a note on the file saying he would return the money, if the Supreme Court thought the withdrawal unlawful."
"Why would the Supreme Court give directive in this regard? Is this a constitutional affair?" said Fazle Rabbi Mian, who was one of the MPs to propose a parliamentary probe against the former speaker.
He said Sircar would be given the chance to defend him before the committee, which would sit again at 11:00am today (Monday). He also said the committee would try to submit its findings by April 30.
Speaker Abdul Hamid, in the face of demands by some MPs, formed the 11-member committee on March 19 to investigate whether his predecessor Sircar appointed employees in violation of the rules, wasted public funds or misused his authority as speaker.
The committee was also authorised "to investigate any other persons facing corruption allegations from any quarters."
Fazle Rabbi on March 30 said corruption charges against former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain, now BNP secretary-general, who allegedly extorted money from the parliament's cafeteria, would also be looked into, if necessary.
"The speaker himself in an official note has admitted that he may have drawn the Tk 27,86,000 'unlawfully' for his treatment," Fazle Rabbi Mian, the committee head, told reporters after a meeting Sunday.
Fazle Rabbi said the probe committee at its second meeting discussed only Sircar's past medical expenses. He said Sircar, now an MP of the opposition BNP, as the speaker in 2006 sent a file to the then prime minister Khaleda Zia for approval of money for his by-pass surgery. "But she did not approve."
"Then the speaker wrote a note on the file saying he would return the money, if the Supreme Court thought the withdrawal unlawful."
"Why would the Supreme Court give directive in this regard? Is this a constitutional affair?" said Fazle Rabbi Mian, who was one of the MPs to propose a parliamentary probe against the former speaker.
He said Sircar would be given the chance to defend him before the committee, which would sit again at 11:00am today (Monday). He also said the committee would try to submit its findings by April 30.
Speaker Abdul Hamid, in the face of demands by some MPs, formed the 11-member committee on March 19 to investigate whether his predecessor Sircar appointed employees in violation of the rules, wasted public funds or misused his authority as speaker.
The committee was also authorised "to investigate any other persons facing corruption allegations from any quarters."
Fazle Rabbi on March 30 said corruption charges against former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain, now BNP secretary-general, who allegedly extorted money from the parliament's cafeteria, would also be looked into, if necessary.