The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Bogra

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed two more graft cases against Dr Firoz Mahmud Iqbal, assignment officer to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and two engineers of LGED and Roads and Highways Department under the Emergency Powers Rules.

ACC Assistant Director Abdul Based filed the cases against Firoz and the then executive engineers Sardar Anisur and Habibur Rahman of LGED and Roads and Highways Department respectively with Shibganj thana on Tuesday evening.

According to the ACC, Firoz and the engineers took Tk 1.47 crore in bribe from contractors of the two departments during 2005-06 fiscal year in connivance with one another.

After preliminary investigations, the anti-graft watchdog found their involvement in the bribery and filed the cases against them under three sections-CrPc 109, Anti-Corruption Act 5 (2) and rule 15 of the EPR.

According to another source, Firoz and Anisur Rahman misappropriated Tk 23.88 lakh of LGED showing "forged documents of a fake project".

Besides, they were charged with taking fuel worth Tk 73,628 of the government for a microbus of Aliarhat Rokeya-Sattar School, thus causing a huge loss to state exchequer.

On Tuesday, a special court sentenced Firoz Mahnud Iqbal, to 10 years while his wife to three years imprisonment in a graft case.

Besides, the court fined him Tk 10 lakh and also ordered confiscation of Iqbal's wealth worth about Tk 1.74 crore to the state coffers as it found Iqbal guilty on two counts-for amassing wealth illegally and for concealing information about his wealth in the statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Earlier, in November last year, a similar special anti-graft court had jailed Iqbal for three years for non-submission of his wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

However, Iqbal is being tried in absentia as he has been on the run since a purge was launched in the interim period against corruption in high places.