Zia, Faruque charged with corruption
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against former state minister for LGRD and cooperatives Ziaul Haq Zia and his son Mashfiqul Haq Joy in connection with a case filed for embezzlement of Tk 12.97 lakh from the public coffer.
Meantime, Proshika President Dr Kazi Faruque Ahmed and five others were charged with siphoning off of $24.69 lakh dollars from its fund.
Besides, ACC submitted a final report clearing Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to former premier Khaleda Zia, and his wife Josne Ara Chowdhury of a fraud case.
CASE AGAINST ZIA
ACC Assistant Director Monzur Alam, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court of Dhaka showing 12 people as prosecution witnesses.
The IO prayed for issuance of arrest warrants against Zia and his son Joy and the order to attach their properties as they have been absconding since the case was filed.
According to the prosecution, it was alleged that Zia, while a minister, forced all car drivers of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to buy oil from his son Joy's (MD) M/S Royal Filling Station at Mahakhali in the city that made a dent in the public money amounting to Tk 12,97,178 and swelled the pockets of Zia and his son.
On February 14 last year the ACC filed the case against them with Tejgoan Police Station on charge of misappropriation of the money.
CASE AGAINST FARUQUE
Investigation officer ACC Deputy Director Arif Siddiqui submitted the charge sheet against Faruque and five others to the CMM's Court of Dhaka showing 23 people as prosecution witnesses.
The five others are Proshika's senior vice-presidents Mahbubul Karim, David William Biswas, its chief executive officer Yusuf Ali Miah, director Mirza Aminur Rahman and finance co-ordinator Alamgir Kabir.
According to the prosecution, Faruque and others, by using illegal power, took $24.69 lakh dollars from Proshika fund and spent it on educational expenses of their sons and daughters abroad on different dates.
On June 9 last year ACC Deputy Director Syed Iqbal Hossain filed the case with Motijheel Police Station.
CASE AGAINST HARRIS COUPLE
ACC Deputy Director AFM Zabid Hassan, also the IO of the case, submitted the final report to the CMM's Court of Dhaka saying that the charges brought against the couple were found to be true but as the case was filed on wrong sections the IO prayed for clearing couple of the charges.
According to the prosecution, KM Zahid Hassan, general secretary of Bangladesh National Deaf Institution, alleged that Harris, while he was president of the institution, took a shop on a five-year contract for his wife that stipulated it (shop) could not be handed over to others within the two years of the contract.
But Harris, in blatant violation of the rules and provisions of the institute, handed over the shop to another person at an exorbitant rate. Moreover, Harris and his wife Josne Ara received Tk 53 lakh in the process of handing it over.
Later, Zahid lodged a case with the Motijheel Police Station against the couple on June 12 last year for committing the offence.
Harris was earlier convicted on different terms in connection with graft and tax evasion cases.
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