ACC arrests civil aviation engineer

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday arrested an executive engineer of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) in connection with a case filed over amassing around Tk 2.5 crore beyond his known source of income.

The ACC team, led by deputy director and the case's investigating officer (IO) Monjur Alam, arrested Asir Uddin from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. He was produced before a Dhaka court that sent him to jail.

The case was filed with Ramna Model Police Station on June 30.

According to the case statement, ACC issued a notice to Asir for filing his wealth statement on November 9, 2016. He submitted the statement on November 29, 2016.

He stated that the accumulated wealth of his, his wife and daughter would be Tk 2.82 crore. He, however, failed to show the source of the money possessed by his wife and daughter.

The ACC examined Asir's tax information filed between 2008-09 and 2016-17.

Asir mentioned that he received Tk 50 lakh as a grant from his brother, who however did not mention it in his tax file. Also, he said he got Tk 5 lakh during marriage but could not show any documents.

Asir said he got Tk 16 lakh by selling a land and he bought a piece of land in Dakkhinkhan at Tk 70.5 lakh. He failed to produce any documents for both the transactions.

He also said he received Tk 20 lakh from his brother-in-law. But ACC's investigation officer found that his brother-in-law did not file any tax nor he was capable of giving such a large amount.

Asir further said he got Tk 14.86 lakh from selling jewelleries to one Prime Jewellers in Mirpur but the investigation officer found the related documents were forged.

The accused also said he sold trees worth Tk 15 lakh to one Khan Saw Mill and Furniture Mart in Mymensingh. However, owner of the mill, Shahin Khan in the interrogation said he bought trees from Asir's brother Sharifuzzaman.

The executive engineer said he received a loan of Tk 20 lakh from one Sirajuddola, managing director of Agragami Engineers Ltd. ACC in the probe found that Sirajuddola is a contractor of CAAB and being a public servant Asir cannot take such a loan.