THE Finance Ministry and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are at loggerhead over the issue of BASIC Bank loan scam as both the organisations have been giving contradictory statements, according to a report published by our daily on Friday. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry on Wednesday said that the ACC report on BASIC Bank loan scam was not acceptable to it. Bangladesh Bank’s inquiry report and the internal inquiry of BASIC Bank also contradicted with the ACC report. The Parliamentary Standing Committee threatened to take steps against the Bank’s the then Chairman Abdul Hye Bachchu, saying, “If ACC will not file a case against the former Chairman and Board of Directors, we, the Standing Committee, will take steps for filing case in police stations.” However, ACC Chairman M Badiuzzaman protested the remarks and initiative of the Standing Committee, saying the committee cannot make any remarks on the issue as the ACC is yet to take any final decision in this regard. The Parliamentary Standing Committee is going to prepare another report on irregularities and misappropriation of the Bank’s fund committed by members of the Board of Directors, particularly its the then Chairman Abdul Hye Bachchu. Meanwhile, Chairperson of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Advocate Sultana Kamal expressed her doubt that there were some secret problems here. When even the Finance Minister says that the ex-Chairman of the Bank is a crook and that there was massive evidences why did the ACC exclude the Bank’s Chairman from the list of people who were guilty. The Bangladesh Bank’s inquiry report and internal inquiry of BASIC Bank, however, found Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu’s involvement in embezzlement. The Bank’s financial condition deteriorated during the period between 2010 and middle of 2013. Massive irregularities took place in distributing loans among a number of little-known clients, the Parliamentary Standing Committee sources said. The Bank disbursed loan of Tk 6,673 crore in the six years, of which Tk 4,500 crore was given breaching the rules. The BB reports also clearly mentioned how Bachchu arbitrarily approved loans against forged papers and inflated mortgages.There is no secret that the ex-Chairman should be held accountable – if he is not fingers will be pointed to the ACC and it will be said that he (Ex-chairman Bachchu) bribed or used political influence to get what he wanted – and it may be true as certain officials of the ACC have been accused of corruption. While the reality of how and why he was not accused will remain in the murky depths, the fact that he must be charged and the truth must be brought to light.The truth of the fact is that even the Parliamentary Standing Committee has lost confidence in the ACC’s fairness in proving that it (ACC) is corruption free. In our view, ACC should try to regain public trust it has lost by default or design.
