The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday pressed charges against former minister and BNP Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed and his expatriate brother accusing them of grabbing a government land in 1978, worth around Tk300 crore now, by making fake documents.
ACC Deputy Director Md Harun-ur-Rashid, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the office of General Recording Officer of the Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
The charge sheet says Moudud and his brother Manjur Ahmed were found guilty during the ACC inquiry for grabbing a government property valued Tk300 crore on Gulshan Avenue by producing different fake documents and abusing power.
The IO also submitted a prayer for issuing warrant of arrest against Manzur, who is now staying in England.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Nuru Miah saw and signed the charge sheet.
A total of 20 people have been made witnesses in the case.
On Wednesday, the ACC at a regular meeting approved a charge sheet which was prepared after a five-month-long investigation. The case was filed on December 17 last year.
The case says the house belonged to Mohammad Ehsan and his wife Inze Maria Flatz, two Pakistani nationals who left the country before the 1971 Liberation War.
Following their departure, the house on 1.13bigha (0.374 acre) land was included in the list of government’s abandoned properties on January 21, 1972.
On August 2, 1973, Moudud prepared a fake power of attorney of Maria Flatz to grab the land and used it to gain his own interest. Since then, he has been living in the house showing himself as a tenant of Maria Flatz, the case document says.
While holding different posts as minister during 1978-2006, Moudud tried to grab the house misusing his power, and made the fake documents in the name of his brother.
Terming the case motivated, Moudud on May 22 at a press conference claimed that before approving the charge sheet, the ACC should have recorded his statement as per the Anti-Corruption Commission Rules, 2007.
