The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday filed two cases against about three dozen persons, all but one engineers and employees of Roads and Highways department, for misappropriating over Tk 186 crore at three toll plazas.

One case has been filed against 18 individuals-a former executive engineer, an incumbent executive engineer, 3 sub-divisional engineers, 6 sub-assistant engineers, 6 work supervisors (toll collectors) and representative of Bromas JV-for allegedly gobbling up Tk 174.35 crore from Meghna and Meghna-Gomti bridges' toll plazas.

Apart from the representative of Bromas JV, 17 engineers and employees were posted under Narayanganj division of Roads and Highways.

The second case was filed against 16 Roads and Highways engineers and employees--3 executive engineers, 7 sub-divisional engineers, one sub-assistant engineer, 4 work supervisors (toll collectors) and one office assistant-for misappropriating Tk 11.56 crore at the Tongi-Ashulia road toll plaza.

All the accused were under Banani and Kalyanpur division of the Roads and Highways department.

ACC assistant director Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan filed the first case with Sonargaon police station, Narayanganj, while the second filed by the same officer with Ashulia police station.

Those accused in the case for misappropriating Tk 174.35 crore are Bromas JV representative Amin Ahmed, former executive engineer Nazmul Haque, serving executive engineer Sanaul Haque, sub-divisional engineers Abdul Halim, Manjur Rahman and Nurul Islam, sub-assistant engineers Abul Kalam, Mostaque Ahmed Chowdhury, Manjur Alam, Abdul Matin, Golam Rahman Chowdhury and Ahsan Ullah Majumder, work supervisors Abdul Mannan, Kabir Ahmed, Mujibur Rahman Khan, Abdul Baten, Khorshed Hasanat Alam and Lokman Sikder.

Though 18 were sued in the case, ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing on Monday that the Commission had approved the filing of the case against 21 persons.

The 16 suspects in the second case filed with Ashulia police station are Executive engineers Manjur Ahmed Bhuiyan, Shamsul Haque and Shafiul Azam Bhuiyan, sub-divisional engineers Golam Mohammad, Fakrul Islam, Abu Hena M Tareque Iqbal, Humayun Kabir, Shamsul Haque Bhuiyan, Abdul Razzak, and Nurul Alam, sub-assistant engineer Abdul Matin, work supervisors Abdul Latif Biswas, Zakir Hossain, Abdul Mannan and Tajul Islam, and office assistant Abu Taher.

Sub-assistant engineer Abdul Matin was accused in both the cases.

Both the cases were filed under sections 409/109/34 of the Penal Code and section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947.

In both the cases, the individuals have been accused of facilitating vehicles to pass through the toll plazas without receipts and with fake receipts. Particular vehicles used to be charged less than the stipulated fees. In return, the accused allegedly used to receive monthly fees for the illegal use of the plazas, while genuine users of the toll road used to be fleeced.

The malpractice at Tongi-Ashulia toll plaza took place during May 2005 to December 2006 while the corruption at Meghna and Meghna-Gomti toll plazas was committed from July 2002 to January 2007. Probe is on to dig out further rot.

The FIR states that at Meghna and Meghna-Goumti toll plazas Tk 20.87 crore was gobbled up in 2002, Tk 43.29 crore in 2003, Tk 42 crore in 2004, Tk 37.68 crore in 2005, Tk 29.1 crore in 2006 and Tk 2.36 crore in the first month (January) of 2007.

These are the first instances of cases being filed based on the investigations by a special team. In March this year, the Commission constituted the four-member special team to investigate corruption and irregularities in the Roads and Highways department, considered one of the black spots of pervasive corruption.