Rooppur nuclear power plant pilots return Rs 36 crore bribe

News Desk: Two contractors of Pabna's Rooppur nuclear power plant have returned bribes to avoid corruption. They have already returned Tk 384 million to the government fund.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed four cases against them for embezzling Tk 31.24 crore in the purchase of pillows and other equipment at unbelievable prices in four government projects.

It is known that Asif Hossain, the owner of Majid Sons Construction and Md. Sajin Construction, the contractor in that pillow case. Shahadat Hossain made fabricated and fake bills.

Later, the ACC got evidence of embezzling 31 crore 24 lakh 46 thousand 182 rupees from four projects. That amount was deducted from their bills for VAT and income tax by 14 per cent.

The nuclear power plant construction project is the single largest project in the country. The total cost has been estimated at one lakh 13 thousand crore. There are many small projects under this project. Such as the construction of residential buildings. There were allegations of corruption in the purchase of pillows with furniture in the residence.

According to ACC sources, there are allegations of massive irregularities and corruption in the purchase of furniture and electronic equipment for the Rooppur nuclear power plant project against the two contractors and nine engineers. The cost of buying each pillow was shown as 6 thousand 618 rupees. This phenomenon of spending money on pillows is now known as 'pillow scandal'.

The two contractors are also working on other projects related to the construction of Rooppur nuclear power plant. Recently all those work bills were prepared. The concerned committee of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has adjusted the embezzled money by deducting Tk 36.40 crore from those bills.

From the fake bills of the two contractors, VAT and income tax was deducted at the rate of 14 percent and 31 crore 24 lakh 46 thousand 182 rupees was paid. Later, while adjusting the money embezzled from their other work bills, a total of Tk 364 million 6 thousand 85 including VAT and income tax was deposited in the government fund.

ACC Commissioner. Mozammel Haque Khan said the contractors of the Rooppur nuclear power plant would not be forgiven even if they returned the money. A case has been filed against them. Now the chargesheet will be given. After that the whole matter will go to the jurisdiction of the court.

The ACC has found evidence of corruption in the Rooppur nuclear power plant by investigating allegations of uncontrolled spending of money on housing project furniture. Then on December 12 last year, the ACC Deputy Director. Nasir Uddin and Deputy Assistant Director Mohammad Shahjahan Miraj filed four cases against the two contractors, 11 engineers and 13 others.

Among the accused in the four cases, 11 engineers are- former executive engineer of Pabna Public Works Department Mohammad Masudul Alam, Deputy Assistant Engineer Md. Jahidul Kabir, Sub-Divisional Engineer (Civil) said. Mostafa Kamal, Assistant Engineer. Shafiqul Islam, Sub-Divisional Engineer Ahmed Sajjad Khan, Estimator and Deputy Assistant Engineer (Civil) Sumon Kumar Nandi, Assistant Engineer. Fabric, Assistant Engineer. Aminul Islam, Deputy Assistant Engineer. Abu Saeed, Deputy Assistant Engineer. Raushan Ali and Sub-Divisional Engineer (Civil) said. Tahajjud Hossain.

Masudul Alam, the executive engineer of the project, was withdrawn at one stage after allegations of unrestrained spending surfaced at the beginning of the project. He has been charged in each of the four cases.