Dead people and expats listed as workers, funds from 55 projects embezzled through fake vouchers - Prothom Alo English
Logo of ACCProthom Alo illustrationFunds allocated for 55 Union Parishad (UP) development projects were embezzled using fake vouchers. That was not all. Deceased people and expatriates were listed as workers under the Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest (EGPP). Money was then withdrawn in their names and embezzled.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two cases against 21 people, including former chairman of Karerhat Union Parishad in Mirsarai, Chattogram, Md Enayet Hossain, also known as Nayan, over the allegations.
Enayet is the science and technology affairs secretary of the Chattogram North district unit of the Awami League (whose activities are banned in the country).
On Thursday, ACC Chattogram Deputy Assistant Director Jasim Uddin filed the two cases at his office, acting as the complainant.
ACC Chattogram Deputy Director Riaz Uddin confirmed the cases to Prothom Alo.
He said Enayet Hossain and his associates had withdrawn money from EGPP projects in the names of deceased people and expatriates listed as workers.
They had also committed various irregularities, including using forged vouchers, in projects undertaken for implementation in the union between 2017 and 2021.
Two cases have been filed over these allegations. Enayet Hossain is named as an accused in both cases, he added.
Embezzlement from 55 projects using fake vouchersAccording to the case statements, various development projects were undertaken using funds from the one per cent tax collected by Karerhat Union Parishad during the 2017–18 to 2021–22 financial years.
After examining project documents and recording statements from those concerned, the ACC found preliminary evidence of irregularities. Its investigation indicated that most of the vouchers for the projects were forged. The cases allege that funds were embezzled by creating fake vouchers without implementing the projects.
.owners of several businesses named in the vouchers told ACC investigators that neither the handwriting nor the signatures on the vouchers were theirs. In addition, preliminary findings indicated that most of the signatures, other than those of the chairman and union parishad members, on the minutes of project committee meetings and related documents had been forged.
Former chairman Enayet Hossain and the relevant union parishad members were responsible for implementing and supervising the 55 projects funded by the one per cent tax. They are accused of embezzling the project funds in collusion with one another.
Those named as accused in the fake-voucher case, besides Enayet Hossain Nayan, include former reserved-seat women members of Karerhat Union Parishad Kalpana Rani Chakraborty, Shely Majumder and Tahera Begum, as well as former union parishad members Md Abu Taher (Master), Md Shahid Ullah, Md Belal Uddin, Feyar Mia Mintu, Md Azad Uddin and Qurban Ali.
Money withdrawn in the names of deceased peopleA case alleges that Tk 3.088 million (30.88 lakh) was embezzled from the Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest (EGPP), run under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
According to the case statement, fictitious and deceased people were listed as workers and money was withdrawn in their names. Meanwhile, wages were withheld from many workers.
The case statement shows, Mohammad Harun of West Jowar in Karerhat union, Mirsarai, died on 14 September 2018. But, Tk 40,500 was withdrawn from his bank account between 29 April 2019 and 29 June 2021, after his death. His wife, Hasina Begum, was surprised to learn of this.
Money was also withdrawn from the bank account of Mostafa, who died in the same area. Mostafa’s wife, Shamsun Nahar, said she knew nothing about the withdrawals either, as per the case statement.
