The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday approved filing four cases against 22 people, including Managing Director SOM Kalim Ullah and three other former managing directors of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited, in connection with embezzling over Tk5.75bn through illegal Voice over Internet Protocol business.
ACC Commissioner M Shahabuddin said the commission had approved filing the cases at a recent meeting. “Since we have found their involvement in the graft allegation the commission has taken the decision.”
The commission Deputy Director SM Shahidur Rahman is likely to file the cases with Ramna Police Station this week, a source from ACC said.
The commission inquiry found those 22 people swindling Tk5.75bn over the last four years through illegal VoIP business by erasing calls from call detail record.
BTCL Managing Director SOM Kalim Ullah, former managing directors SM Khairuzzaman, Afsar-ul-Alam and M Abu Sayed Khan, former member (maintenance and operation) Mohammad Tawfiq, General Manager Anowerul Azim, former divisional engineers Romel Chakma and Habibur Rahman Pramanik, Ericsson Bangladesh Ltd’s Contract Manager Asif Jahid, Relation Manager Nazrul Islam and engineer Masrurul Hakim will be made accused in the cases.
ACC officials said the BTCL officials in connivance with Ericsson Bangladesh Ltd embezzled the money by erasing incoming international call minutes from call detail record of ITX-5 and ITX-7.
The commission inquiry found that the number of international incoming calls per day has now declined by 15m from nearly 45m recorded in early 2010 which allegedly caused Tk100m revenue in loss per day.
With this embezzlement, BTCL now has to pay over Tk10bn to some foreign carriers for the incoming foreign calls.
On November 5, 2012, the commission filed five cases against 14 people, including six officials of the BTCL, for misappropriation of the government revenue worth Tk2.05bn through illegal VoIP business.
Earlier on October 24, 2012, the commission filed another case against three top officials of BTCL and an IT company owner on charge of swindling around Tk32.7m of BTCL through illegal VoIP business.