Padma Graft: ACC quizzes ex-Bridge Division secretary
Dhaka, Aug 8 (UNB) - Claiming himself a clean man, former Bridge Division secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan on Wednesday said a vested quarter was deeply involved in halting the World Bank’s fund for the Padma Bridge project.
“An unidentified vested quarter sent emails to the Integrity Department of the World Bank raising allegations of graft in the project. And some WB junior officials dealt with it inefficiently,” he told reporters after facing interrogation by the investigation team of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) at its headquarters in the city.
Mosharraf Hossain, a major graft suspect of the Padma Bridge project, said he was interrogated by the ACC team as part of an investigation process of the Commission.
Asked about his involvement in corruption, he said: “The World Bank never mentioned my name. I was not involved in the Padma Bridge project graft… the World Bank and Canadian police never said that.”
He asked the authorities concerned to find out those who communicated with the Integrity Department of the World Bank to halt the project and damage the country’s image.
ACC directors Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shebli and Mirza Zahidul Alam quizzed Mosharraf Hossain at the commission’s headquarters from 10:30am to 1:30pm, ACC deputy director and public relations officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told UNB.
Pranab Kumar said the former Bridge Division secretary was interrogated about whether he knew anything regarding the alleged corruption in appointing a consultant for the Padma Bridge project or whether he had any links to the matter.
Earlier, on Wednesday, ACC chairman Golam Rahman told reporters that if the World Bank revives its fund for the Padma Bridge project, the ACC will work with the ‘panel of investigative experts’ proposed by the World Bank.
Replying to a query, he said the ACC investigation team will quiz former Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain if the team deems it necessary.
On July 25, the ACC chairman said a ‘panel of investigative experts’ will be formed to assist the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in investigating the graft allegation in the Padma Bridge Project.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on July 23, interrogated three top officials of three sub-agents of the Canadian company SNC-Lavalin in connection with alleged corruption in the project.
On July 2, the ACC questioned Ziaul Huq, managing director of Engineering and Planning Consultant Ltd (EPC), the local agent of SNC-Lavalin, about why he had frequently visited the office of Bangladesh Bridges Division.
The World Bank suspended its US$1.2 billion loan for the bridge on graft concerns on June 30.
“An unidentified vested quarter sent emails to the Integrity Department of the World Bank raising allegations of graft in the project. And some WB junior officials dealt with it inefficiently,” he told reporters after facing interrogation by the investigation team of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) at its headquarters in the city.
Mosharraf Hossain, a major graft suspect of the Padma Bridge project, said he was interrogated by the ACC team as part of an investigation process of the Commission.
Asked about his involvement in corruption, he said: “The World Bank never mentioned my name. I was not involved in the Padma Bridge project graft… the World Bank and Canadian police never said that.”
He asked the authorities concerned to find out those who communicated with the Integrity Department of the World Bank to halt the project and damage the country’s image.
ACC directors Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shebli and Mirza Zahidul Alam quizzed Mosharraf Hossain at the commission’s headquarters from 10:30am to 1:30pm, ACC deputy director and public relations officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told UNB.
Pranab Kumar said the former Bridge Division secretary was interrogated about whether he knew anything regarding the alleged corruption in appointing a consultant for the Padma Bridge project or whether he had any links to the matter.
Earlier, on Wednesday, ACC chairman Golam Rahman told reporters that if the World Bank revives its fund for the Padma Bridge project, the ACC will work with the ‘panel of investigative experts’ proposed by the World Bank.
Replying to a query, he said the ACC investigation team will quiz former Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain if the team deems it necessary.
On July 25, the ACC chairman said a ‘panel of investigative experts’ will be formed to assist the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in investigating the graft allegation in the Padma Bridge Project.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on July 23, interrogated three top officials of three sub-agents of the Canadian company SNC-Lavalin in connection with alleged corruption in the project.
On July 2, the ACC questioned Ziaul Huq, managing director of Engineering and Planning Consultant Ltd (EPC), the local agent of SNC-Lavalin, about why he had frequently visited the office of Bangladesh Bridges Division.
The World Bank suspended its US$1.2 billion loan for the bridge on graft concerns on June 30.
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