Staff Reporter :
The investigation of sensational 33,000 metric tons wheat scandal case has become uncertain due to tug of war between Anti-Corruption Commission [ACC] and police.
ACC, the country’s prime corruption watchdog, has recently conducted an extensive investigation into the allegation of wheat [33,000 metric tons] misappropriation of a Korean company by five businessmen in Chittagong.
Interestingly, the ACC fails to press charges against the accused persons due to legal complications following the amendment of a relevant law. Now, the police will take over the charge from ACC.
When contacted, Deputy Director of ACC [Chittagong district] HM Akhtaruzzaman told The New Nation on Sunday night: “We’ve got enough evidences about the involvement of five persons in pocketing the wheat. However, we’re not submitting any charge-sheet due to legal complications.”
“We’ve prepared a file in this regard and it will be given to police department. They will do whatever it is needed. If they think, there may be further inquiry,” he said.
Sources close to the ACC said five persons, including JK Shipping Lines proprietor Nurul Islam, Chief Executive Officer of JK Shipping Kamrul Islam, owner of Still Fare Garments Md Akhtaruzzaman alias Mamun Khan, Managing Director of Rokeya Automatic Flour Mills Md Saiful Islam and businessman Malek Majhi sold the wheat in the local market. The wheat was kept in the godown of Malek Majhi.
When the fraud was surfaced, Azizul Islam, managing partner of Sheikh Ashraf Ali and Sons and also the local agent of the Korean company [M/S Samjin cs & t Co Ltd], filed a case with Bandar Police Station accusing five persons in connection with the incident on May 31 last year.
The Bandar Thana Police transferred the case to the ACC in accordance with the law and ACC initiated an investigation. In the meantime, the ACC Act was amended in 2016. After amendment, the jurisdiction of probing into forgery and cheating was transferred to the police.
It is learnt that, the Korean company had signed an agreement with Ministry of Food in 2014 to supply wheat. In this regard, Sheikh Ashraf Ali and Sons, a company of Khulna, was appointed company’s local agent by President of Korean company Hco Man Woog.
As per the agreement, the Korean company supplied the first consignment of 19,500 metric tons of wheat through Mongla port in July 2014. But a dispute erupted between the company and local agent over commission, when the second consignment of 33,000 metric tons wheat worth Tk 85 crore reached the Chittagong port on August 6 in 2014.
In this backdrop, Sheikh Ashraf Ali and Sons filed a case with a Dhaka court against the South Korean national Woong for realising its commission. In its order, the court issued directives to stock the wheat under the Korean national until the case is disposed of.
Meanwhile, the Food Ministry refused to accept the wheat as the delivery date had already been expired. Following the ministry’s refusal, the sub-contractor stocked it in a local godown of Chittagong in line with the court order.
But violating the court order and without the permission of the local agent or Korean company, the five accused allegedly sold the whole consignment of wheat in the local market.
The matter came under spot light after managing partner of the local agent Sheikh Azizul Islam in 2015 went to the warehouse to take 7000 metric tons of wheat for realizing his commission. There was no wheat in the godown.
