ACC launches probe into Biman lease

A team from Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday launched an investigation into the reported corruption centring Biman Bangladesh Airlines taking lease of two Boeing 777 aircraft from Egypt Air in 2014.

The lease caused a loss of around Tk 1,200 crore.

Led by ACC Deputy Director Salah Uddin, the delegation of the anti-graft body went to the respective departments of Biman's headquarters at Balaka Bhaban around 10:30am and talked with relevant officials, sources at Biman said.

"We went to the Biman office as part of ACC's ongoing inquiry [into alleged irregularities in leasing process]. We've collected relevant documents," Salah said while talking to The Daily Star.

ACC is investigating this following the recommendation of the parliamentary body of the civil aviation ministry.

Leased for five years with stringent conditions, the planes remained grounded since 2017 due to engine defects.

A probe body of the ministry found that in 2019, Biman finally got rid of the two air-planes, for which they had to pay dearly.

Asked, Biman Managing Director and CEO Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal said they will extend all-out cooperation to ACC, so that the anti-graft body can investigate without any obstacle.

Interestingly, Mahbub Jahan Khan, director of planning at Biman, told the media yesterday that the national airline has learned a lesson after these alleged irregularities.

"After that incident, we developed a standard operating procedure on taking a lease of aircraft. From now on, Biman will have to follow this procedure strictly," he added.

A probe by the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry found that the terms and conditions of the "non-transparent" lease agreement went against Biman's interests.

The body found that a section of Biman officials inked the non-transparent deal for personal gains, said a top official of the civil aviation ministry.

ACC on Saturday sent a letter to Kamal, asking for various documents related to the allegations within 15 working days.