Health sector graft: Contractor Mithu placed on 5-day remand
Earlier, on the night of 10 September, detectives arrested Mithu in Dhaka’s New Market area, later turning him over to the ACC.
A Dhaka court has placed contractor Motazzerul Islam Mithu, accused of large-scale corruption in the health sector under the Awami League regime, on a five-day remand in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over amassing wealth illegally.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Foyez passed the order today (18 September) after a hearing.
Earlier, on the night of 10 September, detectives arrested Mithu in Dhaka's New Market area, later turning him over to the ACC.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The next day, ACC Deputy Assistant Director Zakir Hossain sought a 10-day remand to question Mithu. The court, however, ordered him to be sent to jail and fixed today for the remand hearing.
After hearing both sides, the court granted a five-day remand.
According to the remand plea, Mithu unlawfully acquired immovable and movable assets worth Tk75.8 crore, inconsistent with his known income sources, and kept them under his possession for personal gain – a punishable offence under Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, 2004.
It also mentioned ongoing investigations into allegations that Mithu, through a syndicate of companies, supplied goods and executed development works in the health sector by exerting undue influence, and laundered money abroad to the US, Canada and Australia under his and his family members' names. For this, intensive interrogation was deemed necessary.
According to the ACC's probe report, Mithu, owner of Lexicon Merchandise and Technocrat, acquired immovable assets worth Tk18.4 crore through farmland purchases, land leases, plots, flats and house construction. He also acquired movable assets worth Tk57.4 crore through shares and investments in various companies, car purchases, bank deposits, gold, furniture and electronics.
Together, his assets amount to about Tk75.85 crore. Additionally, Tk71.45 crore was calculated as his family expenditure. Thus, his total wealth and expenses stood at around Tk147.3 crore.
On the other hand, legal sources of income worth Tk71.49 crore were found, leaving Tk 75.8 crore in illegal wealth unexplained.
