Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant: 11 PWD officials held over 31.24cr embezzlement

Estimation, tender floating, and receiving of goods -- these are generally the three consecutive steps of government procurement. But at least in two purchases for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant housing project, the receiving of the goods came first. 

The Public Works Department (PWD) of Pabna first received furniture and electrical appliances for one of its 20-storey buildings in late October 2017. About five to six months later in 2018, it made an estimation and floated tender.

“They [PWD officials] assessed the price of the goods and floated tender to cover up irregularities and corruption. That’s not all. The officials misappropriated about Tk 31.24 crore in various ways,” said an Anti-Corruption Commission official yesterday, wishing not to be named.

The ACC yesterday arrested 11 PWD officials, including former executive engineer Masudul Alam, and two businessmen at the capital’s Segunbagicha in connection with four cases filed over embezzlement of about Tk 31.24 crore from the housing project. 

Other accused are: sub-divisional engineers Tahazzud Hossain, Ahmed Sazzad Khan, Mostafa Kamal, assistant engineers Suman Kumar Nandi, Morshed Tarek, Aminul Islam, deputy assistant engineers Abu Sayeed, Jahidul Haque, Shafiqul Islam, Rawshan Ali, proprietor of Sajin Construction Sahadat Hossain, and proprietor of Mazid Sons Construction Asif Hossain.

Masudul is the prime accused in all the cases lodged yesterday. All of PWD engineers were working in Pabna at that time.

For accommodation of engineers and other officials of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the government is constructing 966 flats.

According to a case statement, the PWD on March 19, 2018, made about Tk 28.37 crore estimation to procure 70 items, including curtains, aluminium doors, window frames, electric irons, smart TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, for the 20-storey building.

PWD Deputy Assistant Engineer Shafiqul assessed the price of electrical appliances.

Sub-divisional Engineer Sazzad approved it and said, “I have personally verified the market rate. The rate had been proposed accordingly.”

Deputy Assistant Engineer Jahidul estimated the price of items like curtains, aluminium doors, and window frames, and it was verified by Sub-divisional Engineer Mostafa Kamal.

On the same day, executive engineer Masudul approved the price assessment.

On March 21, 2018, the estimation was submitted before PWD Superintendent Engineer of Rajshahi zone AKM Zillur Rahman who approved and forwarded it to Additional Chief Engineer Shafiqur Rahman for final approval. He also gave the nod on that day.

The tender was published in e-GP on April 3 that year and two dailies the following day.

Mazid Sons Construction submitted a tender on May 1 that year, and Sajin Construction the following day. Mazid was awarded the work on May 24.

The ACC in its inquiry, however, found that furnished flats of the building had already been handed over to the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, which is implementing the nuclear power plant project, between October 28 and November 1, 2017.

On behalf of PWD, Jahidul and Shafiqul handed over the flats.

“That is how the PWD received goods from the contractor before floating the tender,” read the FIR.

The housing and public works ministry in its investigation found that prices of the items should be Tk 19.30 crore.

After deducting vat and income tax, it was found about Tk 7.79 crore was additionally paid, said the FIR.

“Masudul, Jahidul, Mostafa, Shafiqul, Sazzzad, Sumon, Aminul, and Tareq were directly involved in the tender process.”

They misappropriated Tk 7.79 crore, mentioned the FIR.

In a similar way, the PWD officials floated tender for similar items for another 20-storey building.

About one month before awarding the work order to Mazid Sons Construction, the furnished flats, with furniture and home appliances, were handed over to the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission on April 25, 2018.

The anti-graft body found about Tk 7.48 crore was misappropriated from this work.

The PWD awarded two contracts to Sajin Construction for similar goods for two other 20-storey buildings where about Tk 15.96 crore was embezzled.

Corruption in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant came to the fore following media reports over purchase of furniture and other household items at exorbitant prices.  

The reports claimed that each pillow was bought for Tk 5,957, and the cost of carrying it to a flat was Tk 760. An electric stove cost was Tk 7,747, and the carrying cost from the ground floor to the top was Tk 6,650.

The reports also said the price of an electric iron was Tk 4,154, and the carrying cost was Tk 2,945.

The total cost for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant stands at around Tk 1,13,025 crore.