Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has grilled the owner of Jadid Automobiles Shamimuzzaman Kanchan over allegation of pocketing 9.50 crore taka in a supply order of healthcare gadgets amounting to 31.90 crore taka under the World Bank financed project of Covid-19 emergency response and pandemic preparedness.
ACC on its preliminary investigation found that Jadid Automobiles withdrew 9.50 crore taka without supplying any healthcare gadgets ranging from mask, PPE and relevant products used by the healthcare professionals while treating coronavirus infected patients.
During the interrogation, Kanchan claimed himself as innocent and rejected his involvement in any wrongdoing, said an investigation officer of ACC requesting anonymity.
Kanchan also claimed, "A section of greedy officials of DGDA (Directorate General of Health Services) and DGHS (Directorate General of Drug Administration) went wild to earn a quick buck by cashing in the pandemic situation. I was lured into the process but managed to distract myself. I supplied all the products in accordance with the deal.”
A team led by ACC director Mir Zoynul Abedin Shibly grilled him at the headquarter, said director public relations Pranab Kumar Bhattachariya.
Earlier in a notice signed by ACC director Mir Zoynul Abedin Shibly on September 2 asked Kanchan to be present at the ACC headquarter on September 9.
The notice said, “ACC is investigating the allegations of acquiring illegal wealth and embezzling huge amount of money by staffs and officials of directorate general of health services and different hospitals by providing substandard mask and PPE used for Covid-19 treatment. For the sake of proper investigation, ACC needs to hear from Shamimuzzaman Kanchan with substantial documents related with the allegations in the designated time and if he failed to turn up that day ACC will count that he has nothing to say regarding the business.”
The national anti-graft body also asked DGHS and DGDA to provide all the relevant documents related to the purchase of mask and PPE equipment.
In another desperate letter sent to DGHS and DGDA, on September 2, ACC requested to provide all the relevant documents by September 8 for the sake of proper investigation on mask and PPE scam.
The letters asked for documents of the deal struck between DGHS and Jadid Automobile under the project taken by DGHS to counter Covid-19, supply order, information about supplied protective equipment, invoice, payment, and others attested copy of the affairs."
In a separate letter sent to DGDA asked for an attested copy of application written to director general of DGDA by M/S Jadid Automobiles and copy of permission to import mask and PPE items.
ACC grilled former DG of DGHS over mask and PPE scam on August 12 although he claimed himself as an honest, decent and talented guy and said he was not involved with any corruption and discharged his duty with full devotion and honesty.
ACC also interrogated six officials of Central Medicine Stores Depot (CMSD) on the issue of mask and PPE scam last week of July as ACC started investigating into 900 crore taka purchase of mask and PPE equipment on June 10 amid the outcry of supplying substandard mask and PPE equipment to frontline fighters of Covid-19 treatment, such as doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
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