No graft in Padma Bridge project

The Anti-Corruption Commission has found no evidence of the World Bank's allegation of corruption in appointing the contractor of the proposed Padma Bridge project. "The graft allegation [by WB] hasn't been proved, based on the documentary and verbal evidence we have," ACC Chairman Ghulam Rahman told a press briefing at the commission yesterday. The commission yesterday sent the synopsis of its inquiry report to the Integrity Vice-Presidency (INT), a WB component responsible for investigation of internal and external allegations of misconduct and fraud. "We think there is no need for further inquiry into the allegation. If the World Bank gives more specific documents and evidence, we'll reopen the inquiry," the ACC chief added. On September 21 last year, WB's Integrity Vice-president Leonard F McCarthy handed over a letter and an investigation report to Finance Minister AMA Muhith and to the commission over the alleged graft in the 2.97-billion project. The WB promised to give 1.2 billion in loan for the work. The construction was initially planned to start this year and be completed by the end of 2014 to connect southern Bangladesh with the capital. But the work could not start as the WB temporarily suspended the fund over the allegation. The WB report alleged the then communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and his family-owned company SAHCO sought to coerce multiple companies into using SAHCO as a paid "silent agent" for getting permission to bid for the contract of the main bridge. Abul had all along denied any wrongdoing, saying on one occasion that he was a “proven honest man”. In the face of widespread criticism from various quarters, Abul was removed from the communications ministry in December last year. Following the allegation, the ACC assigned its Deputy Director Jainul Abedin Shibli in October the same year to investigate the matter, a month after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the authorities concerned to probe the claim. Headed by former Brac University vice-chancellor Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, the ACC inquiry team talked with officials of five foreign companies that pre-qualified for the construction of the main bridge. All of them replied in the negative when asked if SAHCO had intervened in the selection process, said the ACC chairman. The five companies are Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea), China Zhongtie Major Bridge Engineering Group Co Ltd (China), Daelim Industrial Company Ltd (South Korea), Vinci-HCC Joint Venture (India-France) and China Communications Construction Company Ltd (China). Officials of these companies unequivocally said that no representative of SAHCO had ever visited their offices to talk about the Padma Bridge project and that no one on Abul Hossain's behalf had demanded a percentage on the contract price, the ACC chief said. Moreover, no company has any allegation against the pre-qualification selection procedure, said Ghulam Rahman. Talking to The Daily Star, members of the committee said they were not influenced by any quarter and that the entire bidding process followed due rules. In his testimony before the inquiry team, Abul refuted the allegation against him and his family company. Officials of the China-based China Railway 15 Bureau Group Corporation, whose Bangladesh office raised the allegation against SAHCO, have denied receiving any letter from SAHCO offering to work as a "silent agent", said Ghulam Rahman. The ACC carried out the inquiry by dividing the allegation into two -- allegation of corruption over the construction of the main bridge and allegation of corruption in the appointment of the supervising consultant. The commission yesterday disclosed the findings of its inquiry into the first issue. The Padma Bridge at Mawa-Jajira point was to be co-financed by the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). The government signed agreements with the WB for $1.2 billion loan, ADB for $615 million, Jica for $415 million and IDB for $140 million. Last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government would not accept WB's assistance in the project should it fail to prove the allegation of corruption it had raised. Meanwhile, the Malaysian government on Monday formally offered funding for the project. The Bangladesh government is yet to decide on the matter.