The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday summoned eight former ministers of the past BNP-Jamaat led 4-party alliance government in connection with the graft case filed against detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.

Meanwhile, six co-accused of Khaleda Zia, including AMM Shahadat Hossain, former Chairman of Chitagong Port Authority (CPA), arrested on Saturday were sent to jail. Of them, two directors of Global Agro Trade Company Limited (GATCO) gave their confessional statement before the court

According to the ACC, it summoned the eight former cabinet ministers as they were the public procurement commitee members and had approved the Internal Container Depot (ICD) tender in favour of GATCO.

Among the summoned eight former ministers, former Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman, former LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, former Industry Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami, former Information Minister M Shamsul Islam and former Commerce Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury were asked to appear before the ACC in person by 11:00am on September 25. Besides, former Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and former Energy State Minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain would be interrogated at the jail gate as they have already been arrested on other charges.

ACC's Deputy Director (DD) Zahurul Huda, who is the investigation officer (IO) in the case, said that he had submited prayers to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court seeking permission to interrogate the two detained former ministers at the jail gate.

He also said that he had sent notices to all the six other former ministers to appear before the ACC on time.

ACC DD Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the graft case with Tejgaon thana on September 2 against BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman, former CPA Chairman AMM Shahdat Hossain, CPA's three senior officials and two directors of GATCO.

It was alleged that the former Prime Minister in connivance with others gave the contract to GATCO, a firm owned by Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of late and former Shipping Minister Akhbar Hossain, by misusing power and adopting corrupt means.

Besides, IO Zahurul Huda said that the then cabinet commitee on public procurement at first had cancelled the tender process as all firms participated in the tender were disqualified. The procurement commitee also had suggested re-tender for the job.

But for unknown reason, the procurement commitee later approved the tender document of GATCO, the IO said adding that the ACC felt it necessary to interrogate the former public procurement commitee members to know the truth behind the approval.

Meanwhile, GATCO directors Syed Galib Ahmed and his brother Syed Tanveer Ahmed were produced before the CMM Court at about 1.20 pm and gave their confessional statements before the court

Court sources said that the directors admited to their involvement in the scam. Later, magistrate Abdullahel Baqi sent them to jail.

Besides, former CPA Chairman AMM Shahadat Hossain, its former Director (transport) AM Sanwar Hossain, former Chief Finance and Accountant Ahmed Abul Qashem and former Director Luthful Kabir were produced before the court of magistrate Mohammad Mizanur Rahman. After the hearing, the court sent them to jail.

But, the lawyers of the four arrested ex-officials prayed for division in jail and the court ordered to follow the jail code in this regard.

In the graft case, a total of eight persons, including former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her son Arafat Rahman Koko, have so far been arrested. The mother and the son were arrested on September 3.

The rest five accused in the case yet to be arrested were Commodore (retd) Zulfiqur Ali, another former CPA Chairman, former Shipping Minister and BNP leader Col (retd) Akbar Hossain's wife Jahanara Ansar, two sons Ismail Hossain Simon and AKM Musa Kajol and one Ehsan Yusuf.

Sources said these accused persons went into hiding soon after the case was filed. ACC sources said the hunt was on for those absconding persons.

According to sources, the case was filed on September 2 under the ACC Law-2004 and it was brought under the purview of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) on September 17.

According to the case statement, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her son Arafat Rahman had influenced the two former CPA Chairmen and its other senior officials to award the tender related to Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Chitagong and Dhaka to GATCO illegally. As the GATCO was awarded the tender illegally, the State had to incur an unlawful loss of about Tk 1,100 crore.

In addition, the ACC yesterday sent a notice asking to submit the wealth statement of one of its Assistant Directors, Abu Bakkar Siddique.

Talking to journalists, ACC Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman said that the ACC official was asked to submit his wealth statement within the next seven working days.