The Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) month-long investigation into Regent Hospital scam has revealed new information which may bring few other individuals under ACC scanner.
The investigation found severe anomalies in statements of the accused.
So far the anti-graft body has concluded that Regent Hospital was conducting operation under the nose of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) despite having an expired licence for years.
Receiving certificate to become a Covid-19 dedicated hospital without renewing its license was done through dirty money.
Seeking anonymity, an official with the knowledge of the investigation told The Business Post, “ACC is now scrutinizing the statement of Regent Group’s Chairman Shahed, former director general of DGHS Abul Kalam Azad and others.”
“During interrogation, ACC found contradictory statements and is now scrutinizing all the information gleaned from Shahed,” he said.
Regent Hospital tested four thousand samples free-of-cost from NIPSOM lab but charged fees to the patients which in total was worth 1.40 crore taka.
The investigation team concluded that all the misdeeds carriedout by Regent Hospital were possible with the blessing of former DG health and several other officials.
Talking to The Business Post on Monday, Public Relations Director of ACC Pranab Kumar Bhattachariya said, “ACC has gathered information that many high-rank DGHS officials were directly involved with the scam.”
“It wouldn’t have been possible to run this hospital without their (DGHS officials) support. DGHS completely failed to discharge its duty to keep such hospitals in check," he said.
According to ACC sources, Shahed applied to DGHS on November 25 in 2013 for hospital and pathological laboratory license. On December 8, DGHS okayed license for a 50-bed hospital and pathological laboratory in Uttara for the hospital which expired on June 30, 2014.
Commenting on the investigation, ACC secretary Md Dilwar Bhakt said, “Substantial progress has been made in this investigation and ACC will soon act in accordance with the recommendation of the investigation team.”
"We will leave no stone unturned to prosecute the culprit for the betterment of the country and health sector so that no such scam repeats in the future" he added.
sh/zn/nm
