The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is to investigate into the recent corruption scandal centering purchase of medical equipment, face masks, hand gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Names of more than 100 officials and employees, including about two dozen senior officials of the health ministry were identified in a preliminary probe by the ACC while investigating the mask-PPE scandal. The ACC sources said the accused will be summoned for grilling soon.
There are allegations of organized tender manipulations and supply of poor-quality medical equipment, devices and disposable items by a syndicate who also allegedly bribe health officials to continue such unethical practice.
According to ACC sources, several syndicates of suppliers have emerged during last few yearsworking in the health sector who maintain close links with dishonest officials in the Ministry of Health, Directorate of Health, Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) and the Drug Administration.
The investigation findings say that in the last five years about taka two and a half thousand crore have been embezzled in connivance with suppliers who obtainillicit work orders as contractors.
The ACC's investigation unit has prepared a list of such corrupt officials and employees involved in the corruption. There are allegations against these officials and employees of acquiring illegal assets including corruption in procurement of medicalequipment and disposable items like face masks, hand gloves, PPE and chemicals and laboratory reagents.
Among them the ACC have identified names of 8 high level officials of the Health Ministry and the health directorate, 20 doctors and 5 principals of medical colleges and hospitals. Those who have been listed, the ACC's team has also increased surveillance on them.
However, the ACC did not want to reveal their names for the sake of continuing the investigation.
An official requesting anonymity said that an investigation is underway into a list of a class of health sector officials.
The official said, “On one hand the ‘hunt’ will continue while on the other hand, the accused would be interrogated in phases accordance to the list.”
It is learned that a year and a half ago the ACC submitted a report to the Ministry of Health with 25 recommendations to prevent the irregularities and corruption in the health sector by identifying 11 sources of corruption. According to their report, the ministry did not comply.
The ACC says that if their report had been taken into account, corruption in the health sector would have been greatly reduced.
However, the ACC is now moving towards taking legal action. Meanwhile, a team, led by ACC Deputy Director Shamsul Alam, has filed a case against the contractors and about 20 officials of the directorate for embezzling Tk 131 crore in the name of purchasing equipment in various medical colleges and hospitals.
Meanwhile, another team, led by ACC director Mir Zainul Abedin Shibli,has launched an investigation into allegations of corruption in the purchase of face masks, PPEs and other medical equipment amid the corona outbreak. Meanwhile, top five contractors doing business in the health sector, have been questioned about their involvement in the alleged corruptions.
The ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Mozammel Haque Khan said, "I have recommended 25 cases of corruption in the health sector. If these recommendations were taken into cognizance there would have been no corruption. In fact, the recommendations, if executed, could have prevented health ministry officials from committing the alleged corruption.”
