Graft cases against 11 ex-MPs dropped

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to exempt 250 graft-accused including 11 former ministers and lawmakers in 121 cases from charges due to lack of enough evidence.
The former ministers and lawmakers are from the Awami League, BNP and Jamaat and were accused in 16 cases mainly for misappropriating government funds and materials meant for relief, cheating, and abuse of power.
"We have decided to submit final reports in the cases due to lack of proper evidence," ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told The Daily Star last night.
Sources in ACC say the joint forces initiated most of the investigations, but had difficulties collecting evidence strong enough to prove the charges.
Meanwhile, ACC yesterday approved submission of seven proposed charge sheets against 24 people including former state minister for communications Salahuddin Ahmed and ex-lawmaker Reza Ahmed Bachchu Mollah on charges of power abuse and misappropriation of government funds and materials.
Besides, ACC has prepared a list of the people convicted in its 100 cases by different lower courts as the government has asked for a list of the convicts. The ACC, however, did not reveal the number of the convicts to the press.
The list of the former ministers and lawmakers to be exempted include Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Asadul Habib Dulu, Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar, Abul Hossain Khan, AKM Selim Reza Habib, AKM Fazlul Haque Milon, Salahuddin Ahmed of BNP, former minister Matia Chowdhury of AL, and former lawmakers Mohammad Abdus Sobhan and Abdullah Mohammad Taher from Jamaat.
Chittagong City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and businessman Salman F Rahman are also on the list of the accused getting exemption.
As many as 48 local government representatives, 42 government officials and 144 people from other professions are also going to be exempted.
"Most of the cases were not the commission-initiated and lack evidence and technical requirements," says an ACC source, adding even witnesses made in the cases could not be traced in many cases.
The cases in which ACC has decided to submit final reports were regarding misappropriation of government materials meant for relief and funds, bribery, deception, tax evasion, power abuse, and irregularities regarding VGF and VGD cards, and land grabbing.
The cases against Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar, Abul Hossain Khan, Mohammad Abdus Sobhan, and Asadul Habib Dulu were filed on charge of misappropriating 32, 160, 180, and 201 pieces of corrugated iron sheets.
Matia Chowdhury was accused of misappropriating over Tk 13 crore in the name of importing rice in 1998-1999 through mutual collaboration, while Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain was accused of selling land of a school through misuse of power.
Earlier, ACC had to submit final reports in 70 other cases for the same reasons.
On a report published in a Bangla newspaper over reinvestigation into wealth statement of former premiers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, Hanif Iqbal said, "The commission has not taken any such decision."
CHARGE SHEET
Salahuddin Ahmed and 15 others will be charged with occupying land illegally by abusing power, while Reza Ahmed Bachchu will be charged for misappropriating corrugated iron sheets meant for relief.
Jalal Alamgir and Joya Alamgir, son and daughter of former lawmaker Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, will be accused in separate cases for not submitting wealth statement to the commission.
The ACC also decided to issue notices on eight people including Chittagong Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury's wife Hasina Mohiuddin asking them to submit wealth statements.