Md Mahabub Alam :
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) could not make any headway on Padma Bridge graft case though eighteen months have already elapsed, sources have said.
The officials of the anti-graft watchdog have failed to collect evidences with which they would be able to fight the case against ‘conspiracy of corruption’ at the time of appointing consultancy firm, the sources said, adding: the operation on the graft case is at standstill due to absence of any evidence and some other unknown reasons.
The ACC sent teams to Canada twice for collecting evidence between May and October in 2013 but the members of the teams returned home empty handed each time.
Moreover, Advocate Anisul Haque, who is now Law Minister, was a legal advisor of the Commission. But after he became a minister, he could not assist the
ACC. And even, the Commission did not appoint anyone against the vacant post.
These are some of the reasons behind the inoperative state of the investigation work, said the sources.
An official wishing anonymity said that the main evidence of the graft matter lay with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as they seized the dairy of Ramesh Shah, where detail of kickback distribution among ten powerful people, and statements of Ramesh, Ismail Hossain and Caveen Waless are stated.
Mentionable, three persons have been accused in Padma Bridge graft cases both in Bangladesh and Canada. They were the officials of SNC-Lavalin, an international construction company and are facing trial in a court of Canada now.
The official said such a graft case has been the first since the establishment of ACC, adding that the commission filed case as per promise of the World Bank (WB) that it would help the Commission.
He went on, but now neither the WB nor Canada is helping it. “It will not be possible for ACC to probe the complaint against the accused without having evidence of the WB and Canada.”
Another sources said the anti-graft watchdog might not get assistance of WB as it has no more relation with Padma Bridge Project. On the other hand, they said Canada refused to provide any development before the verdict of the case.
A Canadian Court is scheduled on April 7 to hold the pre-hearing on the verdict against the three accused persons, including former state minister for foreign affair Abul Hasan Chowdhury.
But he has already lodged a writ petition with the Canadian Superior Court of Attorney challenging the trial against a foreigner. The court fixed April 7 and 8 to hold the hearing.
Abul Hasan’s Lawyer Brian Greenspain told a Canadian newspaper that among the four persons in Padma Bridge graft case, his client Abul Hasan Chowdhury is a foreign citizen. He raised the question before the court whether it had the right to hold trial against a foreigner.
As per his question, the court judge North Haimer fixed the above dates for hearing, he said.
ACC Chairman M Badiuzzaman told an online newspaper that his organization through mutual legal assistance tried to bring the evidence laid in Canada but the country did not provide any evidence, saying ‘it will not render any development before trial’.
“So, it is not possible to bring out progress on the graft matter before the trial”, he said.
On December 17 in 2012, ACC filed a case with Banani Police Station against seven persons on charge of conspiracy of corruption during appointment of a consultancy firm for Padma Multi-Purpose Bridge Project.
