NEWS UPDATES
April, 2008
Wednesday, April 30 2008. 1656
The Anticorruption Commission Wednesday approved chargesheets against former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina in separate Niko scam cases, an ACC official said.
In a press briefing at the commission's Segunbagicha office, ACC director general colonel Hanif Iqbal said the twin chargesheets involve about 20 people
The graft watchdog filed separate cases against the accused on Dec 9 last year.
Khaleda and 10 others stand accused of costing the state coffers Tk 13,777 crore and Hasina with eight others was blamed for the loss of Tk 13,630 crore in state wealth.
ACC deputy directors AMM Sabbir Hasan and Mahbubul Alam filed the cases against Khaleda and Hasina respectively.
Hasina, when she was the prime minister, allegedly approved a Niko deal in 2001, which cost the government Tk 13,630 crore in losses, according to case details.
The case alleged that Niko Resources was "very inefficient" in different aspects, including technical know-how for oil explorations, but the deal was approved in violations of a proper procedure.
The BNP-led government also connived with Niko in implementing an "illegal" joint venture agreement soon after the alliance assumed power in October 2001, it was alleged in the case filed against Khaleda.
Niko applied to state minister for energy Mosharraf Hossain to close the deal, but some experts of Petrobangla and Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) opposed the agreement, according to case details.
Khaleda, the then prime minister, allegedly ignored opinions of the gas experts and took sides with Niko on the deal, costing the state Tk 13,777 crore in losses.
Monday, April 28, 2008 . 2010
The Anticorruption Commission Monday appealed to a Dhaka court seeking to exempt former food minister Motia Chowdhury and eight others from corruption charges in a 2002 case.
ACC assistant director Moniruzzaman Khan submitted a final report to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for Dhaka and sought exemption for them.
In the report, investigating officer Moniruzzaman Khan said the allegations against the accused could not be proved.
Acting water resources secretary Mohammad Ayub Miah, the then deputy secretary of the food ministry, had also been named as one of the accused in the case.
The court did not pass any order on the appeal Monday.
The now-defunct Bureau of Anticorruption filed the case against the nine people, mostly bureaucrats, with Ramna Police Station on April 22, 2002.
In case details, Bureau of Anticorruption official Syed Tahsinul Haque had alleged that the government counted Tk 13.30 crore in loss as the accused misused powers to import rice from India in 1998 and 1999 for their personal interests.
In another development, the ACC Monday submitted a chargesheet against former Sonali Bank managing director Muhammad Taimilur Rahman and wife Shamima Begum in a case filed for submitting a false wealth statement.
ACC assistant director SM Monzur Ahmed filed the case with Ramna Police Station on Dec 11 last year.
According to the chargesheet, the couple had earned property worth Tk 1.18 crore through undisclosed sources and lied to the ACC.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008. 1821
The Anti Corruption Commission Wednesday filed a case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Arafat Rahman Coco on charges of amassing illegal wealth.
The ACC filed another case against Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim for submitting a skewed wealth statement to the corruption watchdog.
ACC deputy director Md Abu Sayeed filed the case against Coco with Ramna Police Station, the police said. The case against Sheikh Selim was filed by another ACC deputy director, Abdul Karim, with the same police station.
According to case details, Coco made property worth Tk 2.23 crore by illegal means and concealed information about Tk 11.20 lakh in the statement submitted to corruption watchdog.
Arafat owns a string of businesses, including river transport company Rahman Navigations and advertising firm Advance Ad.
Joint forces arrested Coco at their cantonment home on Sept 3, along with his mother.
Businessman Abu Ahmed Zaidan Rabbi, managing director of advertising firm AD MEDIA, sued Coco and his two brothers-in-law for extorting over Tk 1 crore from him on May 16.
The case was brought under emergency powers rules.
In the details of the case against Sheikh Selim, the ACC alleged that the former minister had concealed information about Tk 22.29 lakh worth of wealth and earned Tk 3.38 crore in illegal assets.
Monday, April 21, 2008 1953
The Anticorruption Commission has decided to serve notices on the managing director and a general manager of state-owned Rupali Bank, seeking their wealth statements, an official said Monday.
Colonel Hanif Iqbal, director general of the ACC (administration), told reporters that the bank's MD Abdul Hamid Mia and GM Moinul Haque would be served notices.
Rupali's former director Mohammad Hossain and former deputy general manager MM Salimullah would also be asked to submit their wealth statements, Iqbal said.
Iqbal said the ACC had cleared the chargesheet against former Awami League lawmaker Kazi Jafrullah for submission to court.
Jafrullah stands accused of not submitting his wealth statement to the commission.
The ACC official said the chargesheets against former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia would be submitted soon in Niko corruption cases.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008. 0730
The Anti Corruption Commission has asked the National Board of Revenue and 13 bank branches to keep the files and documents on income tax and bank accounts of Dhaka mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka and his family ready for an investigation team to seize, an ACC official said Wednesday.
The commission that sued the mayor and his family sent letters to the NBR and managers of the banks, the ACC official said, asking not to be named.
The commission on April 2 filed a case with the Ramna Police Station against Khoka, wife Ismat Ara, their son Ishraque Hossain and daughter Sarika Sadek for acquiring wealth worth Tk 17.57 crore beyond their known sources of income and hiding information about Tk 10 crore in assets in a wealth statement to the commission.
The letters were sent to the 13 branches of 10 banks such as Agrani, Rupali, Janata, Uttara, Pubali, Standard Chartered, HSBC, Habib Bank, NCC Bank and Premier Bank.
Tuesday, April 15 2008. 1130
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in a letter addressed to the secretary, Ministry of Law has forwarded its opinion on the proposed Truth Commission 04 April proposing amendments to some of its provisions.
During the routine press briefing ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal mentioned -“We do not have any disagreement with the government decision regarding formation of Truth Commission. We have just proposed amending some of the provision.”
The ACC has also sent a proposal to the National Board of Revenue to look into sources of income or capability of earning of individuals when they get their black money whitened; confirmed the spokes person of ACC.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008. 1100
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against former adviser to caretaker government Justice Fazlul Haque on charges of amassing assets illegally and concealing wealth information on 12 April 2008 with Ramna Police Station.
According to the first information report (FIR), Justice Haque in his wealth statement to the ACC held back information about moveable and immovable property worth around Tk 97.37 lakh. Those assets do not match up with his known sources of income.
The case was filed under sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act-2004 and section 5(2) of article 2 of the Corruption Prevention Act-1947 and section 15 of Emergency Power Rules-2007.
The ACC has decided serve notices on Fazlul Haque's son Afzal Hossain Raj, son-in-law Tariqur, Raj's friend Sujon, and Abdul Malek, an official of the Justice Fazlul Haque Foundation.
Sunday, April 06, 2008. 10:05
"If the government feels the necessity of forming Truth Commission, then we should not have any disagreement with the government on its decision,”-- commented Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Lt Gen Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury (Retd) on 03 April 2008 at a routine press briefing to the journalists. He further mentioned that the proposed Truth Commission should not have any scope to spare any 'particular party' in its operation, and that must be ensured through law. The ACC Chairman ruled out any possibility of a row between the two commissions over any single case in reply to a question.
Gen Hasan Mashhud (Retd) also said the commission has already ordered filing 30 cases based on allegations made by people. It has received 40,000 allegations from them.
He mentioned that the ACC has 60 cases in court now and 41 have been disposed of. It has filed 174 first information reports (FIR) and the number of investigations being conducted by it stands at 90. Besides, the commission has prepared 22 charge sheets
Thursday, April 03, 2008 12:50
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, his wife, son and daughter for amassing wealth illegally and concealing wealth information on 02 April 2008 with Ramna police accusing Khoka and his wife Ismat Ara, daughter Sarika Sadeque and son Ishrak Hossain for accumulating wealth worth over Tk 17.57 crore, which does not match his actual income
The case has been filed under sections 26 (2) and 27 (1) of the ACC Act, 2004, section 109 of the Penal Code and section 15 of the Emergency Power Rules, 2007.
Teusday, April 01, 2008
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) suggested introduction of a permanent system at ministries or government offices immediately for scrutinising the wealth statements submitted by government officials. The system would help maintain discipline at ministries or government offices and curb corruption.
The commission in a letter to the cabinet secretary on 31 March 2008 offered the suggestion to deal with the wealth statements submitted by government officials following an order from the establishment ministry that was initiated too on the advice of the ACC.
Friday March 28, 2008 0:52
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on 27 March 2007 approved submitting charge sheet against BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and mother-in-law Iqbalmand Banu in a case filed for amassing illegal wealth and hiding wealth information.
Following investigation, the commission decided to charge him with concealing wealth worth Tk 2,16,48,087 in his statement to the ACC and amassing assets of Tk 5,845,000 beyond known sources of his income that is total illgotten wealth amounting Tk 2,74,93,087.
Dr Zubaida and her mother Iqbalmand are accused of abetting Tarique in concealing information on wealth.
Website Launched
Thursday March 27, 2008 13:52
 The official website of Anti Corruption Commission was launched at http://www.acc.org.bd. The website shall provide regular updates on activities of Anti Corruption Commission along with updates on any verdicts, achievements, our goal and aims. In addition, people can get updated information on any tenders or notices or job oppurtunites available at ACC
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