ACC decision on questioning Khaleda today

5 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will decide today its next step regarding investigations into two allegations of corruption against former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The ACC has already issued three notices on Khaleda but failed to get proper response from her with regard to a date for questioning her. In reply to the third notice issued on March 25, Khaleda said she would not face any questioning before going through documents and papers concerning the allegations, ACC sources said. Khaleda also wanted the ACC to provide her with detailed questions in advance of the questioning. The ACC received her reply on Sunday. The commission issued its first notice on February 14 and the second one on March 3 seeking appointment with her for questioning. In reply to these two notices, Khaleda had also said she needed to go through necessary documents before being questioned. Top ACC officials yesterday said there must be an end to this issue of sending and re-sending letters and that the commission would sit today to decide its next step. ACC sources also pointed out that the law does not permit them to send documents and papers to Khaleda. The allegations against Khaleda include laundering of about Tk 7.5 crore of public money for purchasing land for Zia Charitable Trust and misappropriation of funds for construction of Bhairab Bridge, which caused a loss of Tk 100 crore to the state exchequer when she was the prime minister, the sources said. The money laundering probe also involves Khaleda's sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, as they are also trustees of the charitable trust. Once the ACC inquiry finds sufficient information about an allegation, it files a case and conducts a fully-fledged investigation, ACC officials said.