ACC director suspended for leaking info

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday suspended its Director Khandaker Enamul Basir on charges of leaking information and breaching service discipline.

The move came a day after a private television channel aired a report in which DIG of police Mizanur Rahman alleged that Basir took a bribe of Tk 40 lakh from him for clearing him of a graft allegation.

The DIG is facing a probe by the ACC over amassing wealth illegally.

Following the broadcast of the report, the graft watchdog on Sunday formed a three-member committee, led by ACC Secretary Dilwar Bakth, and asked it to submit a report by 3:00pm the following day, said a press release.

The ACC suspended Basir after analysing the probe report.

In May last year, the ACC launched an enquiry into the alleged accumulation of illegal wealth by Mizan who came to spotlight after news broke that he had a marital scandal. The police official was later withdrawn as additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The ACC had tasked Basir with the enquiry into Mizan’s wealth.

Talking to journalists, ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood yesterday said Basir denied the allegation of taking bribe.

Replying to a question from a reporter, he said the graft watchdog would carry out forensic tests of audio clips of the conversations between Mizan and Basir.

Iqbal also said they would file a case if the incident of bribery was proved to be true.

Basir last month submitted a report to the ACC with a recommendation of filing a case against Mizan. The commission was yet to decide on the report, said ACC sources.

After taking an allegation into consideration, the ACC appoints an enquiry officer for probing it. The officer submits a report with a recommendation either for filing a case against the accused or relieving the person of the charges.

In the event of filing a case, the graft watchdog appoints another official as the investigation officer who submits a charge sheet to the commission for approval. The charge sheet is submitted to a court following approval by the ACC.

Talking to The Daily Star on Sunday, DIG Mizan said, “Basir called me in January this year and asked me to submit my salary statement. I submitted the salary statement of my 28-year-long career.”

He said Basir also asked him to call his personal number as conversations on his official number is recorded. He also claimed to have bought the ACC director a mobile phone handset and a SIM card.

“Around January 10, Basir met me at Ramna Park and demanded Tk 50 lakh. He said he could clear me of all the charges.”

Mizan said he gave Basir Tk 25 lakh on January 15 and Tk 15 lakh on February 25.

Asked about the sources of the money, the DIG said he borrowed Tk 10 lakh from one of his in-laws and the rest of the amount came from his personal savings.

“On May 30, he [Basir] went to my wife’s shop at Police Plaza and said he had to submit a report accusing me as he was under pressure from the Anti-Corruption Commission,” said Mizan, adding that he had a heated debate with Basir.

Under the Penal Code, bribing someone is a punishable offence.

On April 25 last year, the anti-graft watchdog had summoned Mizan after several media reports broke that he had amassed wealth illegally. He was quizzed for about seven and a half hours over the allegation.