The Anti-Corruption Commission team now in Canada for investigation in Padma bridge scam will be looking for the original copy of SNC-Lavalin official Ramesh Saha’s diary that contains information on bribery for getting a contract in the project.
“The team will try to manage the original copy of Ramesh Saha’s diary. If they fail to do so, they will attempt for a copy or pages of the diary,” ACC Secretary M Faizur Rahman Chowdhury told journalists on Wednesday at the monthly briefing of the commission at its Segunbagicha headquarters.
Responding to a question, he said ACC legal adviser Anisul Haque and investigation officer Mirja Jahidul Alam went there on May 19 to collect information on corruption regarding the appointment of a supervising consultant for the Padma bridge project and question senior officials of the Canadian engineering firm.
An ACC official said the team could stay there for few more days if the investigation was not complete within Wednesday.
The much-talked-about diary could shed light on identifying the names of those who allegedly took bribe for the project or were set to be paid bribes, he added.
On December 17 last year, the ACC filed a case of “conspiracy for corruption in the Padma bridge project” against seven people – including three top SNC-Lavalin officials – dropping names of former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury. But the ACC said they would be kept under observation and that their names could be added later if their involvement could be proved.
Two of the three SNC-Lavalin officials – Ramesh Saha and Mohammad Ismail – are now facing trial in a Toronto court.
The diary of Ramesh Saha contained a list of 10-12% commission receivers for the Padma Bridge project. The diary quotes: “Padma PCC, 4% Min, 2% Kaiser, 2% Nixon, 1% Secretary and 1% Moshi Rahman.”
According to the documents, “Min” referred to Syed Abul Hossain and “Kaiser” is former foreign affairs state minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury, “Nixon” is the prime minister’s nephew Mujibur Rahman, “Secretary” is former Bridges Division secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and “Moshi Rahman” is the prime minister’s economic affairs advisor Mashiur Rahman.
Ismail on May 15 told Canadian CBC News Television: “PCC, they interchangeably used the word. Sometimes it was 'project consultancy cost', sometimes 'project commercial cost,' but the real fact is the intention was bribe.”