ACC summons ex-Jubo League leader Maruf

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has given a notice to former presidium member of Awami Jubo League central committee Sheikh Fazlur Rahman Maruf to record his statement over corruption allegation against GK Shamim.

In a notice signed by ACC’s Director Syed Iqbal Hossain asked Maruf to appear before the anti-graft watchdog on January 7, confirmed an ACC official preferring to be unnamed.

Over a month after his arrest, the ACC, on October 21, filed a case against contractor SM Golam Kibria Shamim and his mother for amassing Tk 297.08 crore wealth beyond the known source of income.

During the arrest of Shamim at his residence on September 20, Rab recovered Tk 1.81 crore cash, USD 9,000 and Fixed Deposit Receipts of Tk 165 crore from Shamim’s house.

In its today’s notice to Maruf ACC said there is allegation against Shamim of bagging big construction works giving huge amount of bribes to government officials and operating casino business and laundering crores of money illegally in abroad.

“For the sake of proper enquiry, it is necessary to record your (Maruf) statement,”

ACC interrogated Shamim several days. During the investigation, he opened up names of several persons with whom he had illegal transaction, ACC source said.

ACC said Maruf’s failure to appear on the said date would be considered as ‘you have nothing to say over the allegation.’

ACC found that Shamim has moveable and immoveable properties worth about Tk 133.26 crore which the accused amassed beyond the known source of income.

Shamim is known to be an influential contractor of the Public Works Department and other government organisations. His firm GKB & Company (Pvt) Ltd is handling 15 major construction projects of the government, involving around Tk 3,000 crore.

The projects include construction of the Rab Headquarters in Ashkona, the Revenue Building in Agargaon, the Artha Building and two 25-storey buildings at the secretariat, the National Institute of Traumatology Orthopedic and Rehabilitation, the Neuro Science Building, and the NGO Foundation in Agargaon.