Ex-Adviser Matin won’t be heard as papers prove his corruption

JS Sub-committee chief asserts

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The parliamentary sub-panel investigating corruption charges against M A Matin will not allow the former shipping adviser to defend himself over awarding a container handling work at Chittagong port, its chief said on Sunday.
But, after the June 29 meeting of the sub-committee, Mohammed Shah Alam had told bdnews24.com that they would hear Matin, who was also home adviser and the chief of the corruption-busting national committee formed by the military-installed caretaker government.
"We have enough papers that prove his corruption. So, we will not summon adviser M A Matin to hear his version," Alam told bdnews24.com after Sunday's meeting at parliament building.
He said the shipping secretary and an assistant secretary involved in the deal had confessed at the meeting that Matin had forced them to award the contract to Ishaq Brothers in violation of government rules.
"Today, the officials of the Chittagong Port Authority submitted papers which prove Matin's direct involvement in awarding the work," said Alam.
The probe body chief said that his sub-committee would meet on July 30 to finalise the report and refer the same to the main committee-the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry-which formed the four-member all-party enquiry committee.
"We will refer the report to the main committee as soon as possible and the standing committee will make the final recommendations," said Alam.
Awami League's Shamsul Haq Chowdhury and Nazrul Islam and the BNP's Mostofa Kamal Pasha are the other members of the probe body.
According to Alam, the secretary and assistant secretary hab been were "under pressure" from Matin to award the contract of container handling work at Chittagong port to Ishaq Brothers, which had no prior experience, on Jan 6, Matin's the last day in office as adviser.
Matin earlier at a press conference had denied wrongdoing after the parliamentary watchdog on May 27 formed the sub-committee.
The standing committee found that Matin had allegedly arranged a board meeting of the Chittagong Port Authority in the afternoon of Jan 5 to evaluate the tender committee's report.
The CPA initiated the file to award the contract within 24 hours to Ishaq Brothers after the meeting and couriered it to Dhaka by air, the committee said.
The file was accepted on Jan 6 morning and the same was sent to Chittagong Port Authority for necessary actions after the adviser had signed it, it said.
The standing committee said the contract was awarded when the new government was taking oath at the Bangabhaban.
The file reached Chittagong in the afternoon of January 6 and the CPA awarded the works to Ishaq Brothers at 9pm.
The standing committee also alleged that Matin had raised the service age of "pilots" at the Chittagong port to 60 years from 57.
"He is not the authority to increase age of any public servants. This should be a political decision.
"He must be made accountable for this," said Alam.