Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved an inquiry into allegations of corruption involving three former personal staffers of government advisers, two of whom were recently removed from their posts.
The individuals under investigation are Md Moazzem Hossain, former assistant private secretary (APS) to the Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, and Tuhin Farabi and Mahmudul Hasan, former personal officers (PO) to Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum.
Confirming the development today, ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain told reporters, “We have initiated the investigation against the APS and POs of the two advisers in line with ACC laws and regulations.”
“We received complaints against them and began looking into the matter. The ACC’s intelligence unit carried out a preliminary inquiry, following which the commission decided to initiate a full investigation,” he said.
Moazzem was officially dismissed through a government notification issued on April 22, though Adviser Asif Mahmud had instructed his removal earlier, on April 8.
In a recent interview with Prothom Alo, Asif called for a thorough investigation by the ACC into the allegations against his former APS.
Similarly, Tuhin Farabi was relieved of his duties following complaints of corruption, though further details of the allegations were not disclosed by the ACC.
Case against ex-MP Morshed Alam, family over embezzlement: The ACC also has filed a case against former lawmaker Morshed Alam, also the chairman of Bengal Group and National Life Insurance Company Limited, along with his son and brother, over allegations of embezzlement.
ACC Deputy Director Sheikh Golam Mawla filed the case on Sunday. They have been accused of embezzling a large sum of money under the guise of purchasing land.
The other two accused in the case are Morshed’s son Saiful Alam, managing director of Bengal Concept and Holdings Limited, and brother Md Jasim Uddin, chairman of Bengal Commercial Bank, ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhter Hossain said during a regular press briefing.
He said, Morshed and Jasim concealed a conflict of interest in selling land they owned to the company for use as a regional office.
By hiding this conflict and selling the land at an unusually high price, they “embezzled” Tk 2.86 crore, according to the case statement.
The ACC official said there are allegations of embezzlement of over Tk 400 crore against Morshed.
Following a preliminary inquiry, evidence was found of the embezzlement of Tk 2.86 crore.
If further evidence emerges during the investigation, it will be included in the charge sheet. Former Dhaka Taxes Appellate Tribunal member Ranjit sued: Furthermore, the Anti-graft body has filed a case against Ranjit Kumar Talukder, a former member of the Dhaka Taxes Appellate Tribunal, and his wife Jhumur Majumder over allegations of amassing wealth illegally worth Tk3.40 crore.
