Sircar, Delwar seek time from ACC

Former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain sought time for replying to the Anti-corruption Commission notice issued against them regarding the alleged misappropriation of Tk 2.5 crore from Jatiya Sangsad funds.
The notice, issued against them on June 8, asked for their statements in five days. Jamiruddin Sircar asked for six weeks' time while Khandaker Delwar Hossain a month's time.
They asked for time extension and the commission will give its decision, said a member of the four-member ACC enquiry team headed by its Deputy Director Moniruzzaman Khan.
The anti-graft body could not avail of the current address of former deputy speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui, thus could not issue the notice upon him in connection with the same graft. Hamid was not found at the address the ACC has of him.
A parliamentary probe last year found that the three BNP leaders were involved in misappropriation of the Jatiya Sangsad funds.
The Awami League-led grand alliance government formed the probe committee headed by ruling party lawmaker Fazle Rabbi Mia on March 19 last year to investigate the alleged corruption between November 2001 and January 25, 2009 at the Parliament Secretariat.
On February 7, ACC began enquiry into the alleged misappropriation of Tk 2.5 crore after receiving the investigation report from the parliamentary probe committee.
The ACC enquiry team completed examination of the 784-page parliamentary report forwarded to the body and awaits statements of the accused.
The ACC notice upon the three has questions regarding medical bills, unauthorised use of public vehicles, taking additional fuel allowances, corruption in procurement, beautification and arboriculture, recruitment, entertainment bills, allocation of residence for officials and receiving money from the Parliament Members' Club.
According to the law, ACC files cases if its enquiry finds enough evidence and once a case is filed, the ACC goes for fully-fledged investigations.