ACC finds corruption proof in Padma Bridge consultant appointment

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has found preliminary proofs that corruption was committed in the appointment of a consultancy firm for inspecting the construction works of Padma Bridge, the ACC chairman told reporters Tuesday.

In September 2014, despite having reasonable grounds to pursue the case against the accused project-related officials, the then ACC administration decided to acquit all of them almost “forcibly”, ACC Chairman Md Abdul Momen said at the corruption watchdog’s headquarters.

The case will be revived following the submission of a new investigation report by concerned officials, the ACC chief said. The then ACC officials may also be brought under justice for potentially misleading the case, Md Abdul Momen said.

As per Md Abdul Momen, the initial probe has found the following irregularities which the then ACC officials ignored:

“The project evaluation committee was restructured multiple times unnecessarily likely with an ‘ill-motive.’ The committees did not regularly collect the project-related essential information and take the mandatory interviews of consultant officials and others. Curriculum-vitae of consultant firm’s officials were not reviewed properly before appointing the final bidder. Reusable materials were purchased multiple times without any specific need.”

In 2012, the World Bank (WB) halted loan support for the Padma Bridge project, making corruption allegations. Under pressure from the international community, the then Awami League government launched an investigation.

Two years later, the then ACC authorities submitted to the trial court a “Final Report Two,” which states that available evidence confirm the alleged corruption was committed, but the investigators could not in any way link the accused to the offence. As a result, all the accused were acquitted.

As a result of the report, all the seven accused were acquitted, including Bridges Division’s former secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Roads and Highways Department’s (RHD) former executive engineer Md Riaz Ahmed Jaber and appointed Canadian consultant firm SNC-Lavalin’s Vice President Kevin Wallace.

The first information report (FIR) had also named former road transport and bridges minister Syed Abul Hossain as well as former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury. They too secured acquittals through the “Final Report Two” statement.

The autocratic and corrupt Awami League regime, which supported or tolerated the alleged corruption, was overthrown on 5 August last year, ushering in a series of shake-ups in state agencies.

On 31 December, the newly appointed ACC leadership decided relaunch investigation into the Padma Bridge corruption allegations.