ACC scrutinising allegation against AL MP Golap

The Anti-Corruption Commission is scrutinising the allegation of amassing illegal wealth and concealing wealth information against Awami League lawmaker for Madaripur-3 Abdus Sobhan Mia Golap.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Saydul Haque Sumon on Thursday submitted an allegation to the ACC against MP Golap seeking an inquiry and legal action against him in this regard.

After the submission of the allegation, in reply to a question, ACC secretary Md Mahbub Hossain told the reporters at the commission’s headquarters that they will take a decision through the Scrutiny Committee of the ACC as per the rules.

The ACC secretary said anyone can file an allegation but the Scrutiny Committee will see whether it falls under the ACC’s jurisdiction, he said, If it falls under its jurisdiction then the committee recommend it to the commission for inquiry.

A decision is taken only after scrutiny by the Scrutiny Committee, whichever way the complaint is received by the commission, he said.

In the complaint, Sumon said that Abdus Sobhan Golap bought several houses in New York and other countries. He concealed information about the properties in the 2018 election affidavit.

He has acquired a huge amount of illegal wealth at home and abroad through abuse of power and corruption. “So, I request the commission to investigate the matter and take necessary legal action,” he said.

After submitting the complaint, Barrister Suman told reporters, “Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project is a project of journalists from different countries around the world. It said Abdus Sobhan Golap has nine properties in New York City which are in his own name. Till now he has not denied the matter.”

Suman also said, “MP Golap renounced American citizenship seven months after taking the oath. But in our constitution, if you have foreign citizenship, you cannot take an oath as a member of parliament. The Election Commission was questioned about this and Election Commission has clearly said that the ACC will look into the matter.”

According to a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists, MP Golap concealed information about being an American citizen and owning nine properties in New York City in his election affidavit in 2018.

Golap bought the properties between 2014 and 2019. Of the nine properties, which cost Golap about $4 million, eight were bought with upfront cash payments. His last purchase — a semi-detached house in Jackson Heights which costs $1.18 million – was made through a small mortgage and cash in 2019, after he became an MP, said the report.

The investigation also found no viable source of income in the US that would have enabled him to buy the properties. He made ends meet through a series of low-paying jobs like driving an unlicensed taxi in New York City, working as a cashier in a branch of the pharmacy chain Walgreens and making pizzas.

The report also said this raises the question of whether the real estate purchases were made with money sent from Bangladesh, which would involve Golap breaking rules.