Probe into graft cases against Khaleda, Hasina begins

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has begun investigations into the graft cases filed against detained former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina on Sunday.
“There are two months for investigations. The investigating officers (IOs) have been appointed and the investigations have begun,” ACC Secretary Mokhles ur Rahman said at its regular briefing yesterday.
On Sunday night, the ACC filed a graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her youngest son Arafat Rahman and 11 others with Tejgaon Police Station. She was arrested yesterday morning following the case.
Earlier in the day, the anti-graft watchdog filed a Tk 3 crore corruption case against the detained AL president. A first information report was filed against her with the same police station.
ACC Deputy Director Jahirul Huda has been made the IO in the case against Khaleda while the name of the IO of Hasina's case could not be known.
According to sources, although the ACC secretary said the IOs have been appointed for both the cases, the IO in Hasina's case has not been appointed as of 5:20pm yesterday. “The file sent for the Commission's approval is yet to come back,” said a source.
In reply to a volley of questions as to when the inquiry into the allegations against both the former PMs began, when the ACC received the inquiry reports and from whom it has received the complaints, the ACC secretary refrained from giving a clear answer.
“Wealth statements have been sought before and the newspapers carried the details. The primary inquiries have been done by the Commission as the complainants are the ACC deputy directors,” he said.
Mokhles said the Commission approvals are needed before filing FIRs and submitting charge sheets. “The approvals have been given on behalf of the Commission.”
He said if it is found during the investigations that someone is not involved, his/her name would be dropped at the time of submitting the charge sheet. “As the FIRs have been filed by the Commission, the ACC is the complainants,” he said.
About the source of information based on which the inquiries against Khaleda and Hasina have been done, he said it might be written or oral or from other organisations.
Mokhles said the Commission yesterday received the wealth statement of Hasina through prison authorities. He said AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil and former FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo also submitted their wealth statements on Sunday through the jail authorities.