Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) would scrutinize the list of the country’s freedom fighters to find out who are genuine and who are fake.
M. Faizur Rahman Chowdhury, secretary of ACC said this in a monthly briefing at the media centre on Wednesday noon.
“The liberation war took place in 1971. About one lakh people of our country directly participated in the war with arms. But surprisingly two lakh people managed certificates as freedom fighters. It should be investigated how so many people managed the certificates,” he said posing a question.
Some secretaries of different ministries have also managed certificates as freedom fighters to get their service tenure extended though they did not take part in the war. “We are looking into the matter very seriously”, Faizur Rahman Chowdhury said.
Health Secretary Niaz Uddin Mia, Liberation War Affairs Secretary K H Masud Siddiqui, Science and Technology Secretary A K M Amir Hossain, former Secretary to PMO Molla Waheeduzzaman, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khandaker Showkat Hossain and Joint Secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry Abul Quasem Talukdar managed certificates as freedom fighters got their service tenure extended, it should be recalled.
Having received the information, the ACC launched an investigation to find out whether the secretaries have really committed any offence, he said.
Referring to a question on Rana Plaza , Faizur Rahman said, the ACC and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would submit their inquiry reports to the authority concerned about Rana Plaza soon.
Wealth of Sohel Rana
The ACC has already investigated the wealth of Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza to verify whether he has accumulated wealth through any illegal and dishonest way.
On the other hand, the CID has investigated the reasons behind the collapse of the Rana Plaza on April 24 in 2013.
Although the ACC and the CID jointly investigated the case, they will submit their reports separately, he said.
Earlier, the ACC sent notices to Rana and his father asking for their wealth statements. “Though his father submitted his wealth statement, Rana has not yet done it”, he said.
The ACC received 744 complaints in March. Of those, it took 111 cases into cognizance. It approved filing of 76 cases and gave charge sheets in 123. Seven cases were disposed of. Of those, punishment was awarded in two cases while the accused in five cases were acquitted.
Case against Secy Shawkat
Responding to a question he said the ACC has filed three cases against Expatriates’ Welfare Secretary Khandaker Shawkat for taking some RAJUK plots through abuse of power. He did not give any direct reply to the question how the names of 22 others involved in the scandal of RAJUK plots were dropped from the case.
“Now, ACC will conduct inquiry against all the suspected accused. If their involvement is found, they will be included in the charge sheet,” he said.
Dr Showkat Hossain, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary, has reportedly taken three plots in his own name and also names of his family members abusing his power when he was the Housing and Public Works Ministry secretary.
As per the rules of Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha), husband and wife cannot be owners of separate plots, but Showkat has taken three plots from government quota in his name and also names of his family members.