The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday decided to initiate inquiries against four people including former industries minister Amir Hossain Amu and ex-food minister Qamrul Islam over allegations of amassing illegal wealth through corruption.
The two other persons under ACC scanner are Mesbah Uddin, a former mayor of Ramgati municipality in Lakshmipur, and Abdul Hannan Talukder, a former mayor of Madan municipality in Netrokona, ACC deputy director (public relations) Aktarul Islam said.
According to the allegations, Amir Hossain Amu, also a member of Awami League鈥檚 advisory council, laundered money, abused power, and embezzled money through irregularities in different projects and amassed a huge amount of illegal wealth at home and abroad.
A former lawmaker for Jhalakati-2 constituency, Amu, embezzled crores of money through corruption聽 in the recruitment of office assistants, night guards, and nurses at various secondary schools in his constituency.
Amu also allegedly used to take huge amounts of money from the tender works of different institutions, including the LGED, the Education Engineering, and the Public Works Department in Jhalakati, according to the allegations.
Amu amassed a huge amount of movable and immovable assets, including apartments, non-agricultural land, commercial plots, deposits, and other investments in banks and financial institutions.
On August 6, the law enforcement agency seized about Tk 5 crore from his home in Jhalakati.
Besides, Qamrul Islam, also a former lawmaker for Dhaka-2 constituency, allegedly amassed a huge amount of illegal wealth during his tenure as state minister for law. He allegedly received crores of taka in bribes for the appointment of most of the lower court employees.
During his tenure as a food minister, Qamrul misappropriated a huge amount of government money by importing low-quality wheat from Brazil, according to the allegations.
Qamrul built a four-storey building at Azgar Lane in Dhaka and bought two apartments in the capital鈥檚 Mirpur area, four kathas of land in Mirpur Housing Estate, 10 kathas of land in New Town, and several cars, according to the allegations.
He allegedly laundered money abroad too.
The two former ministers of the ousted AL government 鈥擜mu and Qamrul鈥攚ent into hiding after the fall of the AL government amid a student-led mass uprising on August 5.聽
Meanwhile, ACC started a probe against Mesbah Uddin, former mayor of Ramgati Municipality, over the allegation that he had acquired illegal wealth through irregularities in developmental works, and influencing educational institutions.
Instead of carrying out development works in Ramgati municipality, Mesbah earned money illegally by submitting fake bills and vouchers and giving different markets and ferry jetties on lease to his own people.
Madan Municipality鈥檚 former mayor Abdul Hannan Talukder allegedly embezzled public money by misusing his power.
Different markets and bus stands in his municipality area were given on lease in the name of his close people, without following rules.
Hannan purchased several lands in Madanpur Municipality area and constructed several structures and built a luxurious home in his village.
ACC also found information that Hannan had purchased around five acres of land in his village by spending Tk 2 crore.