A Dhaka court on Wednesday framed charges against 11 people, including seven doctors and three contractors, for irregularities in the procurement of medicines for Maternal and Child Health Training Institute.
Judge Md Shahidul Islam of the Seventh Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka indicted the accused after rejecting their discharge petitions.
The court also fixed May 22 for recording deposition of witnesses in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
All the accused are now on bail. They pleaded not guilty and demanded justice when the charges were read out to them.
Money has been embezzled through the same process of overpaying in four financial years, according to the charges.
The charge-sheeted accused are Proprietor of Monarch Establishment Fatenur Islam, owner of Nafisa Business Corner Sheikh Idris Uddin (Chanchal), Proprietor of Santana Traders Nizamur Rahman Chowdhury, former supervisor of Maternal and Child Health Training Institute of Azimpur, Dhaka and President of Tender Evaluation Committee Dr Israt Jahan, former principal of Family Welfare Inspector Training Institute and Member of Tender Evaluation Committee Dr Parveen Haque Chowdhury, former junior consultant of the Training Institute, and Member-Tender Evaluation Committee Dr Mahfuza Khatun, former assistant coordinator (training and research) and Member of Tender Evaluation Committee Dr Chinmoy Kanti Das, former medical officer of Dhaka District Civil Surgeon's Office and Member of Tender Evaluation Committee (now Deputy Director of Department of Health) Dr Saiful Islam, Medical Officer (Children) of the Training Institute, Member of Market Price Verification Committee and Member Secretary of Tender Evaluation Committee Dr Begum Mahfuza Dilara Akhter, Medical Officer of the Institute and President of Market Price Verification Committee Dr Nazrina Begum, and former administrative officer of the same training institute and Member of Market Price Verification Committee Zahirul Islam (currently working as assistant upazila family planning officer in Noakhali Sadar).
ACC Deputy Director Md Abu Bakar Siddique, filed the case with the Dhaka Coordinated Office-1 in 2019 for their involvement in procurement irregularities.
He filed the charge sheet on September 21 last year.
According to the case, the ACC investigated allegations of corruption in various purchases for the Maternal and Child Health Training Institute in Azimpur from FY2014-15 till FY2016-17.
In the 2014-15 financial year, as per a work order, a bill of Tk3,291,720 was paid to the contractor for the supply of medicines.
However, the maximum price of the drug shipment is Tk1,645,298, according to retail prices and the price of the Department of Drug Administration.
