ACC starts quizzing Abul

Monday, September 3, 2012 The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Monday morning started questioning former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain on alleged corruption and irregularities regarding appointment of a consultant for the Padma bridge project.
A three-member ACC investigation team, led by one of its deputy directors Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shebly, is quizzing the former minister who appeared before the anti-graft body around 10:05am, ACC Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told The Daily Star.
On August 26, the ACC issued a notice asking Abul to appear before it to reply to the corruption allegations.
Canadian company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc was shortlisted for the job of consultant for the project allegedly in a corrupt way.
Earlier, the ACC had quizzed a number of government officials and experts on the issue.
Abul Hossain is the most high-profile figure and probably the last one to be quizzed.
Abul was removed from the communications ministry and was made information and communications technology (ICT) minister on December 5 last year. This followed the World Bank's corruption allegation against him, and suspension of its $ 1.2 billion loan for the $ 2.9 billion Padma bridge project.
On July 23, Abul resigned as ICT minister amid pressure from within and outside the government.
His resignation was accepted on August 23.