1971 War Crimes: Moosa faces preliminary investigation

The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 has started a preliminary investigation against controversial businessman Moosa bin Shamsher into his alleged involvement in crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

“We have received allegations against him [Moosa] and started a preliminary investigation for quite a while,” Sanaul Huq, coordinator of the investigation agency, said yesterday at a press conference at their Dhanmondi office in Dhaka.

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“We will register a case against him if we find evidence during the enquiry,” Sanaul said. He, however, declined to give further details but invited journalists to give information about Moosa, if they had any.

The investigation agency usually carries out a preliminary investigation once it receives allegation against a war crimes suspect. If the investigators find evidence against the suspect, the agency registers a formal complaint against them to begin a formal investigation.

In Moosa's case, the agency is now at the preliminary stage.

An online news portal has recently run a report that the investigation agency was reluctant to carry out an investigation against Moosa although “witnesses of Moosa's crimes” were ready to give testimony against him.

In the report, some of the “witnesses” alleged that the agency did not proceed with the probe as Moosa is a relative of an influential leader of the ruling party.

Asked about the matter, Sanaul said political, social or economic identity of a person could never bar the agency from taking a case or necessary legal action against them.

He added those who had raised the question were the prosecution witnesses of other cases and investigators would be directed to take necessary action after talking with them.

He, however, did not specifically say when the preliminary investigation started and when it would be completed. The agency did not give any details about Moosa too.

Earlier in 2001, Bangla daily Janakantha ran a series of reports headlined “Sei Razakar” on alleged war criminals. Several parts of those reports have already been used as prosecution evidence in different war crimes cases.

The Janakantha on March 24, 2001 ran a report on Moosa under the headline “Faridpurer 'Nula Moossai' Ekhon Dhakar Rahoshye Ghera Dhanyadhya Bebosaye Prince Moosa bin Shamsher” (Nula Moosa of Faridpur now Dhaka's mysterious rich businessman Prince Moosa bin Shamsher).

According to the report, Moosa, a man from Faridpur, was a close aide of Pakistani Major Akram Koreshi and was involved in several crimes including killings during the Liberation War.

Contacted, Mosharraf Hossain, an office executive of Moosa's business company, told The Daily Star at 3:40pm yesterday that Moosa would soon give his official reply and sought this correspondent's email address to that end.

However, at 9:20 last night Mosharraf said they would not be able to give the statement that night.

EVIDENCE AGAINST 9

The investigation agency yesterday said to have found evidence against nine men from Mymensingh and Jamalpur over their alleged involvement in crimes committed during the Liberation War.

The accused were “involved” in eight incidents of crimes where at least 101 people were killed, 10 to 13 people were injured, a woman was raped and 110 to 112 houses were torched in Muktagachha and Mymensingh Sadar, Sanaul Huq said.

Of the nine, six are now behind bars.

The arrestees are Abdus Salam, 75, Suruj Ali Fakir, 62, Joyen Uddin Faruki alias Joynal Abedin, 60, Abdur Rahim alias Abdur Rahim Master, 67, Jalal Uddin, 59, and Rustam Ali, 70. Sanaul said the tribunal had already issued an arrest warrant against the rest three.

Of the nine, Abdus Salam was allegedly involved with Al-Badr force, while the rest were alleged Razakar men, he added.

Ruhul Amin, investigation officer of the case, handed over the probe report and other documents to the Chief Prosecutor Officer of the tribunal. Prosecutor Abul Kalam said they would scrutinise the documents and, if found satisfactory, would press charges against the nine.