The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Former secretary general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami are likely to surrender before the court today (Thursday) in GATCO scam case, informed sources said yesterday.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday framed charges against 25 people including former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman Koko, Motiur Rahman Nizami, M Saifur Rahman, Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

They have been charged with violating tender terms in appointing Global Agro Trade (Private) Company Ltd (GATCO), an indenting house, for container handling at Dhaka Inland Container Depot and the Chittagong Port ICD yard despite its lack of experience and skills.

They have been charged with misuse of power that caused a loss of Tk 14.56 crore to the mnational exchequer, according to the case statement.

The investigation officer found that Koko and Ismail Hossain Simon, another accused, made "illegal" financial gains amounting to Tk 2.2 crore in return for giving the tender to GATCO.

Meanwhile, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for Dhaka yesterday sent the chargesheet in the GATCO scam case to a senior special judge's court. However, the court did not issue any order.

Mohammad Zahirul Huda, Deputy Director of ACC and investigative officer of the case, submitted the chargesheet against former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 24 others to the CMM's Court for Dhaka on Tuesday. Earlier, the ACC has given the approval to submit the charge sheet.

Among others, the other top politicians include former ministers Motiur Rahman Nizami, M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

The Investigative officer told reporters that 12 accused in the case were shown fugitives.

Joint forces have arrested Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Arafat Rahman Koko with ties to the case. Saifur Rahman went to Singapore for treatment.

The Anticorruption Commission filed the case on September 2 last year with Tejgaon Police Station against 13 people alleging that GATCO's contract to run the container depot at Chittagong Port was illegal.

It is also alleged that the government incurred more than Tk 1,000 crore in losses because of the GATCO deal.

The case was brought under the emergency powers rules on September 17.

The case record shows that a tender was floated on March 1, 2003 to appoint a contractor for the container depots at Chittagong Port and Kamalapur Rail station.

The accused awarded the tender to GATCO though the concerned company failed to meet all the conditions.