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Saturday, January 21, 2012

No graft in Padma bridge contractor appointment: ACC

The Anti-Corruption Commission did not find any corruption in appointing contractors for the Padma Bridge Project, ACC officials have said. 

Inquiry into alleged corruption to appoint contractors in the Padma Bridge Project has already been completed, ACC sources said. 

ACC Deputy Director Mir Joynul Abedin Shiblee, who was appointed investigation officer to probe the allegation, has already completed the inquiry. 

Shiblee has scrutinised information given by the World Bank and a Canadian company and talked to former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain during the probe. 

But the ACC official did not find any element of corruption in appointing contractor in the Padma Bridge Project during the inquiry, the sources said. 

The inquiry report will be placed before the ACC next week for approval of inclusion of the report in the commission proceeding urging to null and void the allegation, as no corruption was found, the sources also said. 

On the other hand, ACC Assistant Director Mirza Zahidul Islam is now conducting inquiry into the alleged corruption in appointing advisers for construction of the Padma bridge is going on. 

In September last year, the commission decided to conduct the inquiry into alleged corruption in appointing contractor and advisers for construction of Padma bridge upon a request by the communications ministry following suspension of 1.2 billion dollar fund by the World Bank. 

ACC appointed its Deputy Director Mir Joynul Abedin Shiblee and Assistant Director Mirza Zahidul Islam as inquiry officers for probing corruption charges in appointing contractors and advisers for the Padma bridge construction.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith informed the media on October 10 last year that WB had suspended the fund for construction of the bridge.