The New Nation - Internet Edition

Court Correspondent

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday submitted charge-sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, 10 former ministers of her cabinet and 5 others in the graft case filed in connection with the Barapukuria coal-mine on February 26, this year.

Of the 16 accused Begum Khaleda Zia, former minister M K Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan were earlier enlarged on bail in the case while the complainant and ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam sought order for showing arrest against former minister detained Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and detained Altaf Hossain Chowdhury. Besides, the complainant sought warrant of arrest against other 10 accused. Five of them are former ministers M Saifur Rahman, Barrister Aminul Haque, A K M Mosharraf Hossain of BNP and Ali Ahsan Mohammat Mujahid and Mowlana Motiur Rahman Nizami of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. Five others are former acting secretary of the ministry of energy and mineral resources Nazrul Islam, former chairman of Petrobangla SR Osmani, former Petrobangla Director Mainul Ahsan, former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Limited (BCMCL) Sirajul Islam and Hosaf Group Chairman Moazzem Hossain.

Thirty-four persons were made witness in the case, Abul Kashem Fakir, ACC deputy director submitted the charge sheet Sunday at 6 PM accusing the former ministers and bureaucrats of misappropriating Taka 158,71,26,343.22 causing loss to the country's exchequer by awarding the contract of production, management and maintenance of the Barapukuria Cola Mine in Dinajpur to the highest bidder Chinese company CMC.

The ACC in the first information report (FIR) filed with Shahbagh Police Station of the city accused 11 former ministers and 5 others of misappropriation of money through misuse of power, either for their own benefit or for the benefit of others.

After filing the case ACC Deputy Director Manirul Haque was made investigation officer (IO) and he submitted his report in mid-June after completion of his investigation. But the ACC ordered re-investigation and Abul Kashem Fakir was made IO to re-investigate the high-profile case.

This is the third charge sheet against the immediate-past premier Khaleda Zia and earlier two charge sheets have been submitted against her with others in Gatco and Niko scam cases. Three Chinese firms took part in the bid, of them Shandong Ludi Consortium was lowest bidder and Suju Coal Mining Group Consortium the second lowest, while China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) was the highest bidder.

Shandong Ludi Consortium had quoted Taka 335 crore for the contract, but the contract was given to CMC, who quoted Taka 483.79 crore, Taka 148.79 crore more than the lowest bidder.

The case was filed under Sections 409/406/109/419 and 420 of the Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Corruption of Prevention Act 1947.