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Padma Bridge Graft Probe

ACC quizzes 3 Bridges Division officials

Kailash Sarkar
The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday interrogated three officials of Bridges Division in connection with alleged irregularities in appointing Canadian company SNC-Lavalin as the consultant for Padma bridge project.
Sources said Superintending Engineer M Liakat Ali and assistant engineers Golam Mortaza and Abul Kalam Azad
were quizzed as they had travelled to Canada last year allegedly on arrangement by the Canadian company and taken part in several training programmes organised by the firm.
The officials were also asked about frequent secret meetings at the Bridges Division office regarding the appointment of SNC-Lavalin.
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Deputy Director of ACC Zainul Abedin Shebli and its Assistant Director Mirza Zahidul Alam interrogated the officials for about three and a half hours from 11:00am at the Segunbagicha office of anti-graft commission.
ACC sources said the engineers had admitted their Canada tour but denied receiving any travel support from the Canadian company and taking part in the training programmes. They had also denied being present in the meetings at the Bridges Division office.
“There is no scope for denying their travel to Canada, as we have already collected the Government Order regarding their visit. Besides, we have also verified their passports,” said one of the ACC investigators.
He said ACC was now trying to find out whether the officials had visited Canada on SNC-Lavalin's arrangement and taken part in the training.
Meanwhile, comments of the engineers interrogated could not be collected immediately, as they hurriedly left the ACC building to avoid the media.
According to sources, at least 15 officials of the Bridges Division went to Canada on SNC-Lavalin's arrangement before and after the company had dropped its tender. Apart from financial and accommodation supports, the firm had also allegedly arranged their visas.
“We have decided to interrogate six of the officials who went to Canada between January and May last year, after SNC-Lavalin had dropped its bid,” said
one of the ACC investigators, adding, “The interrogation of three other officials will take place soon."
So far ACC interrogated former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury on June 14, civil contractor Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury alias Nixon Chowdhury on June 19 and Ziaul Huq, managing director of Engineering and Planning Consultant Ltd, local agent of SNC-Lavalin, on July2.
Sources said they would soon interrogate former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former secretary of the Bridges Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.
Abul Hossain, Abul Hasan, Nixon, Mosharraf, Ziaul Huq, Ismail Hossain and several others used to be present in the meetings at the Bridges Division and
played key roles in hiring SNC-Lavalin as the consultant for the bridge project, saidACC sources.
Last November, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on a WB request launched an investigation against SNC-Lavalin in connection with alleged corruption in the bridge project. They seized documents from the its office and arrested three of its top officials — former chief executive Pierre Duhaime and former vice-presidents Indian-born Canadian citizen Ramesh Saha and Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Ismail Hossain.
The WB has recently provided the ACC the RCMP findings. Following no “satisfactory” steps against the suspects, the WB on June 29 cancelled its $ 1.2 billion loan for the construction of the Padma bridge.