The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Sudhangshu Shekhar Bhadra, the former director general of the Postal Department, on charges of misappropriating over Tk15 crore in funds allocated for the purchase of servers and UPS units under a government project.
The case, lodged by ACC's Assistant Director Abul Kalam Azad, was registered at the commission's integrated district office in Dhaka on Tuesday, according to Akterul Islam, Deputy Director and Public Relations Officer of the commission.
The charges brought against them include criminal breach of trust through dishonest intentions and abuse of government power in collusion with each other, the official added.
In 2020, Sudhangshu Shekhar Bhadra was placed on mandatory leave following allegations of corruption and misconduct.
The ACC has also named Deputy Postmaster General Mostak Ahmed, as he served as the assistant project director for the project under scrutiny.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the "Post-E-Center for Rural Community" project allocated over Tk15 crore to purchase 500 HP servers, Winner UPS units, and other electronic equipment from the state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS).
These items were subsequently distributed to post offices across various districts and sub-districts.
The project soon faced allegations of large-scale wastage and embezzlement, leading to the formation of a three-member investigation team headed by Additional Secretary (Telecom) Mohibur Rahman from the Department of Posts and Telecommunications.
During random inspections of several post offices, the investigation team discovered irregularities.
The stock registers revealed that, although the project was completed in June 2017, some of the materials were supplied nearly two years after the project's official conclusion.
Moreover, the investigation team found the servers, UPS units, and other equipment supplied by TSS to be unused at the offices.
Postmasters and employees reported that they had not received training on how to operate the equipment, resulting in the machinery being left idle for an extended period.
The FIR further notes that there was no evidence of the procured equipment being utilized. In some instances, the machines and parts remained in their original packaging.
The project authorities did not issue instructions on how the equipment should be used, rendering them effectively useless.
Despite an allocation of over Tk69 crore for training under the project, the investigation team found no records of training being conducted.
Although the equipment was procured according to the project’s procurement plan, no follow-up actions were taken to make the equipment operational.
Consequently, charges have been brought against Sudhangshu and Mostak for violating Section 23 of the Government Money and Budget Management Act, 2009.
Additionally, the FIR accuses them of committing offenses under Sections 409/109 of the Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, for the misuse of government funds.
