The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is likely to initiate a probe into alleged misappropriation of Tk 2.5 crore by former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, his deputy Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui and former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain as parliament yesterday forwarded its investigation report to the anti-graft body for further investigation.
The ACC has also initiated separate inquiries against the daily Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman, former caretaker government adviser Barrister Mainul Hossain and former communications minister Anwar Hossain Manju on charges of amassing wealth beyond known sources of income and misuse of power.
On February 5, the commission decided to initiate inquiries against Mahmudur, Mainul and Manju as the anti-graft watchdog in its preliminary scrutiny found that allegations brought against them have authentic ground.
"We have initiated an inquiry into the allegations as those fall within our schedule," said ACC Chairman Ghulam Rahman confirming initiation of inquiry against the three.
On the investigation report sent by parliament, the ACC boss said, "At first we will scrutinise the report for further investigation to testify that the matter falls within our schedule and then we'll take action thereby."
The ACC yesterday issued notices against Mahmudur, Mainul and Manju asking them to submit their wealth statements.
Three different people filed the allegations against the three. Of them, Mainul filed the allegation against his brother Manju, while names of the other complainants could not be known immediately.
An inquiry against Mahmudur will be conducted as per the allegation that he owns wealth worth Tk 8-10 crore amassed beyond known sources of income and that he received huge financial benefits from Shinepukur Ceramics when he was holding the post of executive chairman of the Board of Investment (BoI).
The allegation mentions that Mahmudur received salary from the private organisation though he was holding a government post and was no more involved with the private organisation due to his resignation.
A report published by The Daily Star on October 10, 2003 said even two years after Mahmudur left Shinepukur Ceramics, he allegedly continued receiving Tk 5 lakh in gross monthly salary.
The allegations were raised against him after he joined BoI in October 2001 and continued receiving the money and benefits even then.
The report also presented a rough and partial figure of what Mahmudur was alleged to have received from Shinepukur from November 2001 to September 2003 which estimated over Tk 86.58 lakh.
That includes Tk 15.4 lakh in house rent from November 2001 to August 2003, Tk 93,742 in car maintenance in May, June and September of 2003 alone, Tk 5,380 in landline and cellphone bills for June and September 2003, Tk 14,500 in electricity bills for May-July 2003, and Tk 70 lakh which was transferred between January 2003 and September 2003 in monthly instalments of Tk 5 lakh.
Allegations mentioned in that report also include giving two luxurious vehicles to the BoI chief and payment of all repairs and maintenance and salaries of two drivers by Shinepukur. One of the vehicles was a Nissan Patrol and the other was a Honda Accord.
The allegation Barrister Mainul brought against his brother is that Manju distributed Tk 2 crore he amassed by illegal means in the Daily Ittefaq to establish his supremacy in the newspaper house.
The allegation brought against Mainul said he misused power while he was an adviser to the caretaker government and amassed huge wealth beyond known sources of income.
PARLIAMENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
A parliamentary probe committee found that Jamiruddin Sircar, Akhtar Hamid and Khandaker Delwar misappropriated Tk 2.5 crore.
The committee was formed on March 19 last year to conduct an inquiry into the alleged widespread corruption in the Parliament Secretariat during the last seven years from November 2001 to January 25, 2009.
Ruling Awami League lawmaker Fazle Rabbi Mia, chief of the parliamentary probe body, placed the 784-page report in parliament on July 9 with huge documents on corruption and misuse of power committed by Sircar, Akhtar Hamid and Delwar.
The report contains 16 recommendations.
The white paper of the alleged corruption points out anomalies in taking medical bills, using unauthorised public vehicles and taking additional fuel allowances, corruption in procurement, beautification and arboriculture, recruitment, entertainment bills, allocation of residence for officials and receiving money from the Parliament Members' Club.