ACC files case against 18 railway officials
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against 18 former and current officials of the Western Railway on corruption charges.
The case was filed on charges of embezzling more than 21.8 million taka of government money by showing prices 15 to 33 times higher than the market price in the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
A total of 18 officials, including former General Managers (West) Khondaker Shahidul Islam and Md. Mojibur Rahman, former COS (West) Md. Khairul Alam and Md. Belal Hossain Sarkar, have been made accused.
On Wednesday, ACC Deputy Assistant Director Md. Rokanuzzaman filed the case at the ACC Integrated District Office in Rajshahi as the plaintiff.
The ACC said that widespread irregularities occurred in the purchase of 17 types of products, including locks, buckets, flutes, flags, VIP curtains, luggage straps, wagon cards, chairs, and trolleys, through the Controller of Stores (COS) office of the Western Railway.
According to the report of the three-dimensional investigation committee of the Ministry of Railways, abnormally high prices were set for the purchase of these products without checking the market.
A total of 2 crore 18 lakh 14 thousand 196 taka was embezzled in the purchase. In the purchase of a lock, the contractor was given 5 thousand 590 taka, where the actual market price was only 173 taka. There were irregularities of 10 lakh 83 thousand 400 taka in the purchase of the lock alone. Similarly, allegations of embezzlement of 44 lakh 41 thousand 300 taka in the purchase of VIP curtains and 1 crore 28 lakh 53 thousand 446 taka in the purchase of other materials were proven.
The list of accused also includes former and current Deputy General Managers at various levels, Finance Officers (DFAs), and officials of the Accounts and Finance Department.
ACC officials said that members of the Estimate and Tender Evaluation Committee intentionally recommended the purchase at a price 33 times higher than the actual price by taking illegal advantage.
It has been initially proven that the accused officials embezzled this money in collusion with each other.
