Mahabub Alam :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is inquiring into a graft complaint against BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, said a deputy director of the commission not to be named.
The allegation, which the ACC received in 2006 and took into cognizance in 2012, includes the allotment of RAJUK’s plots (Uttara 3rd phase project) and sale of government properties violating rules and regulations and misuse of his power when he was a housing and public works minister during the four-party alliance government.
As per the complaint, the BNP leader allotted some
897 plots of the project as per his whims in the name of Genuine and Deserving System (GDS), bypassing lottery system.
ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Mahmud Hasan was the investigation officer, who is now posted in Pabna district now. A new investigation official has already been assigned to look into the cognized complaint (Memo No-ACC-Special. Inquiry and Investigation: 2/69-2012).
On condition of anonymity, the officer told an online agency that a part of the allegation has primarily been detected. “The irregularities took place in 500 out of 897 plots. The commission has already obtained relevant documents from the RAJUK”, he said.
The ACC might send notice to him asking his personal appearance in the commission shortly, he added.
Mirza Abbas, the allegation says, engineered lots of corruption and irregularities in the public works directorate and RAJUK.
Tk three lakh to nine lakh as bribe was paid for each katha of land. In 2007, the caretaker government took initiative to hold inquiry into the complaint. On February 19, the then government cancelled the controversial GDS. Some officials of the RAJUK and the ministry were also suspended for their involvement in the corruption.
After cancellation, many victims went to his residence at Shajahanpur in the city to get back their money given to him as kickback, the allegation went on saying. He sold eight houses on 134.79 kathas of land at Gulshan, seven houses on 112.60 kathas of land at Dhanmondi, a house on 7.45 kathas of land at New Eskaton and a house on 8.14 kathas of land at Banani in the city at a lower price.
At least 284 bidders and organisations participated in the auction. But he sold 17 houses in exchange for 65.14 crore among his relatives in 2004. The average price of a katha of land was estimated for Tk 24.77 lakh. But the market price would be much more.
Some officials of the RAJUK and his ministry objected to sale of those houses but he did not care.
The ACC pressed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in a case filed for amassing wealth through illegal means and providing false information about wealth to the commission on May 14 in 2008.
ACC Assistant Director Khairul Huda, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the chargesheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court of Dhaka, showing 34 people as prosecution witnesses.
On August 16 last year, ACC Assistant Director Shafiul Alam filed the case with Ramna Police Station against the couple. In the case statement, the complainant said that the commission had found that Mirza Abbas and his wife amassed wealth worth over Tk 5.67 crore beyond known sources of income.
Besides, the ACC had also found assets worth around Tk 33 lakh that were not mentioned in the wealth statements of the two submitted to the ACC. On May 11, 2008 Abbas and his wife were sentenced to eight years’ jail each in separate tax evasion cases.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is inquiring into a graft complaint against BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, said a deputy director of the commission not to be named.
The allegation, which the ACC received in 2006 and took into cognizance in 2012, includes the allotment of RAJUK’s plots (Uttara 3rd phase project) and sale of government properties violating rules and regulations and misuse of his power when he was a housing and public works minister during the four-party alliance government.
As per the complaint, the BNP leader allotted some
897 plots of the project as per his whims in the name of Genuine and Deserving System (GDS), bypassing lottery system.
ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Mahmud Hasan was the investigation officer, who is now posted in Pabna district now. A new investigation official has already been assigned to look into the cognized complaint (Memo No-ACC-Special. Inquiry and Investigation: 2/69-2012).
On condition of anonymity, the officer told an online agency that a part of the allegation has primarily been detected. “The irregularities took place in 500 out of 897 plots. The commission has already obtained relevant documents from the RAJUK”, he said.
The ACC might send notice to him asking his personal appearance in the commission shortly, he added.
Mirza Abbas, the allegation says, engineered lots of corruption and irregularities in the public works directorate and RAJUK.
Tk three lakh to nine lakh as bribe was paid for each katha of land. In 2007, the caretaker government took initiative to hold inquiry into the complaint. On February 19, the then government cancelled the controversial GDS. Some officials of the RAJUK and the ministry were also suspended for their involvement in the corruption.
After cancellation, many victims went to his residence at Shajahanpur in the city to get back their money given to him as kickback, the allegation went on saying. He sold eight houses on 134.79 kathas of land at Gulshan, seven houses on 112.60 kathas of land at Dhanmondi, a house on 7.45 kathas of land at New Eskaton and a house on 8.14 kathas of land at Banani in the city at a lower price.
At least 284 bidders and organisations participated in the auction. But he sold 17 houses in exchange for 65.14 crore among his relatives in 2004. The average price of a katha of land was estimated for Tk 24.77 lakh. But the market price would be much more.
Some officials of the RAJUK and his ministry objected to sale of those houses but he did not care.
The ACC pressed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in a case filed for amassing wealth through illegal means and providing false information about wealth to the commission on May 14 in 2008.
ACC Assistant Director Khairul Huda, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the chargesheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court of Dhaka, showing 34 people as prosecution witnesses.
On August 16 last year, ACC Assistant Director Shafiul Alam filed the case with Ramna Police Station against the couple. In the case statement, the complainant said that the commission had found that Mirza Abbas and his wife amassed wealth worth over Tk 5.67 crore beyond known sources of income.
Besides, the ACC had also found assets worth around Tk 33 lakh that were not mentioned in the wealth statements of the two submitted to the ACC. On May 11, 2008 Abbas and his wife were sentenced to eight years’ jail each in separate tax evasion cases.
