The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has interrogated the former director general (DG) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Abul Kalam Azad over amassing illegal wealth through selling N95 masks.
A team led by ACC Director Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shibly interrogated Prof Kalam at ACC headquarters on Wednesday.
“I haven’t committed any crime. I am not corrupt. I have always been honest and efficient.
“However, I want those who are corrupt to get punished. I will cooperate with the ACC in this regard,” Prof Kalam told the media after his interrogation.
“Since I have been accused of corruption during my tenure, I have voluntarily resigned and set an example,” he added.
The former health DG also claimed that a vested group has been spreading propaganda against him.
On August 6, the ACC sent separate letters to the former DG and other DGHS officials summoning them for questioning.
Meanwhile, ACC Director Sheikh Md Fanafilla questioned four other DGHS officials - the former director (hospital and clinic) Dr Aminul Hasan, Deputy Directors Md Yunus Ali and Dr Md Shafiur Rahman and Research Officer Md Didarul Islam - in the Regent Hospital and JKG Healthcare scam case.
Sheikh Md Fanafillah will also be interrogating Prof Kalam on Thursday regarding the Regent hospital and JKG Healthcare scam.
According to another ACC letter, Shahed, chairman of Regent Hospital Ltd of Uttara, Dhaka, and others had been conning the public by collecting crores of money in the name of issuing Covid-19 certificates.
On July 8, the commission had also interrogated the heads of five health sector contractors on allegations of corruption in the purchase of masks, PPEs, and other medical equipment.
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The letter read that Kalam is accused of misappropriating huge amounts of money through the procurement of substandard masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other necessary equipment for the doctors involved in Covid-19 treatment.
The ACC also said various irregularities, corruption, and abuse of power against officials and employees of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, DGHS and Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD), were found.
Resignation
On July 21, Prof Kalam had to resign amid criticisms over DGHS for its poor handling of Covid-19 management.
Prof Azad, who was the first ever Grade 1 secretary in the country in this post, was criticized heavily in the wake of several Covid-19 related controversies surrounding the state-run organization and different private hospitals in Dhaka city.
The controversies
Prof Azad was first criticized for his poor management of the returnees from China, the place of origin of the global pandemic, on February 1.
When the first three cases of coronavirus in the country were reported on March 8, he was heavily criticized.
Later, his decision to stop taking questions from the media also generated criticism.
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The three traders are JMI Hospital Requisite Manufacturing Ltd (JHRML) Chairman Abdur Razzak, Coordinator of Tama Construction and Co Ltd (medical team) Matiur Rahman and Chairman of Allan Corporation Limited Aminul Islam Amin.
On July 19, the national anti-graft commission decided to question some top officials of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) as part of its inquiry into the fake Covid-19 certificates and N95 masks scam in recent months.
In the last month, the ACC questioned six officials of the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) as part of its probe into the corruption in the purchase of N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Resignation of Prof Kalam
On July 21, Prof Kalam had to resign amid criticisms regarding DGHS for its poor handling of Covid-19 management.
Prof Azad, who was the first ever Grade 1 secretary in the country in this post, was criticized heavily in the wake of several Covid-19 related controversies surrounding the state-run organization and different private hospitals in Dhaka city.
Prof Kalam was first criticized for his poor management of the returnees from China, the place of origin of the global pandemic, on February 1.
When the first three cases of coronavirus in the country were reported on March 8, he was heavily criticized.
Later, his decision to stop taking questions from the media also generated criticism.
However, the biggest controversy he was involved in was his stance over the N95 scam. His directorate transferred several officials from Mudga General Hospital soon after the scam was revealed.
The decision of DGHS to replace Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) from the leading role of managing Covid-19 testing facilities in the country, and imposing fees for Covid-19 tests at the government facilities, also drew flak from different quarters.
Following the discovery of unprecedented corruption, irregularities, and fraudulent activities in Covid-19 sample collection, testing, and treatment of patients by Regent Hospital and JKG Health Care, both of which were cleared by the DGHS, Prof Azad once again found himself in the middle of controversy.
