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Khaleda, BNP bigwigs charged with Gatco graft

Saifur, Bhuiyan, Nizami, Koko also on charge sheet

Court correspondent
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) last night pressed charges against detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others in the Gatco graft case.
Submitted to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka, the charge sheet includes top BNP leaders--former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former land minister M Shamsul Islam, former agriculture minister MK Anwar, former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain-- and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami.
This is the second charge sheet against Khaleda, former prime
minister, in seven days, and the first against any top-ranking Jamaat leader since the present caretaker government took over.
Of those charge-sheeted. 12 including Khaleda, Koko, AKM Mosharraf. Khandaker Mosharraf. former chief finance and accounts officer Ahmed Abul Qashem and former Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman commodore (retd) Zulfiqur Ali, and Gatco directors AKM Musa Kajol and Ehsan Yusuf are behind bars while the rest were shown absconding.
Of those not detained yet, Saifur and Amir Khasru are abroad
Investigation officer (IO) of the case ACC Deputy Director Johirul Huda appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants against those absconding, and orders to attach their properties.
He showed 80 people as prosecution witnesses in the charge sheet approved by the anti-graft body on May 8.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2 last year against 13 including Khaleda and her son for graft in awarding Gatco the contract for container handling at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The following day, the joint forces arrested the mother and son at their Dhaka Cantonment residence.
Former shipping secretary Zulfikar Haider Chowdhury, former CPA member AK Rashid Uddin Ahmed and Gatco Director Shahjahan M Hasib arc among the 11 who were not in the FIR but included in the charge sheet.
Former shipping minister and late BNP leader Col (retd) Akbar Hossain's wife Jahanara Ansar and their son Simon are among the charge-sheeted accused. Of the two, Jahanara is still on the run.
The accused are charged with causing a loss of over Tk 14 crore to the public exchequer by striking the container-handling deal with Gatco despite the firm's lack of experience and skills.
The charges also include misuse of power and collusion among the accused in violating the tender conditions.
ACC investigation found Koko and Simon to have received Tk 2.19 crore from Gatco to help it win the contract.
The charges were made under sections 409 and 109 of the penal code. Section 15 of the Emergency Power Rules-2007, and Section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1947.
THE CHARGES
Khaleda and Koko were charged with influencing the tender process while the CPA officials with helping Gatco win the deal ignoring the tender evaluation committee's report that described the firm as unfit.
The eight former ministers, who were members of the cabinet purchase committee, were accused of recommending Gatco for the job.
Simon contacted Arafat to seek Khaleda’s favour in closing the deal.
Gatco provided 41 percent of its shares to Akbar's wife Jahanara. five percent each to Gatco directors AKM Musa Kajol and Ehsan Yusuf before contesting the tender, said the FIR.
Since the company did not have the equipment and experience required for the job. it showed Shahjahan S Hasib as its director, claming that he has experience in container handling.
On an understanding with Simon, Arafat influenced his mother to help Gatco win the deal. Soon after the tender documents
reached the Prime Minister s Office. Khaleda took initiatives to award the deal to Gatco.
BARAPUKURIA COALMINE
Meanwhile, the BNP chief and three detained former ministers were shown arrested in the Barapukuria coal mine graft case yesterday.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate s Court in Dhaka per mitted the investigation officer (IO) of the case to quiz the four at the jail gate.
The three ex-ministers shown arrested in the case are Khandaker Mosharraf, AKM Mosharraf and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury.
The ACC filed the case against Khaleda and 15 others including 10 former ministers from BNP and Jamaat-e-lslaini.
The 16 were accused of causing a loss of over Tk 158.71 crore to the state coffers by awarding a Chinese company production, management and maintenance contract through abuse of power.
Former BNP ministers are Saifur Rahman, Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam. MK Anwar and Barrister Aminul Huq while ex-Jamaat ministers are Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Nizami are among the accused.
Of the former ministers, nine were members of the cabinet purchase committee.
The other accused are former acting secretary to energy and mineral resources ministry Nazrul Islam, former Pctrobangla chairman SR Osmani, former Pctrobangla director Mainul Ahsan, former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) Sirajul Islam and Hosaf Group Chairman Moazzem Hossain.