Khokon blames Taposh for ‘instigating’ ACC against him
The ACC discards the instigation claim, says Khokon will be summoned if requires
Former Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon Tuesday hit out at his successor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh for "instigating" the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take action against him and his family.
However, ACC Secretary Md Anwar Hossain Howlader discarded the claim of the former Dhaka south mayor, saying, "They did not move to freeze the bank accounts of Sayeed Khokon and his family members under the influence of anyone."
Incumbent Dhaka south Mayor Taposh refused to comment on the issue.
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Responding to a plea of the ACC, a Dhaka court Sunday froze eight bank accounts of the ex-mayor and his family members. Khokon on Tuesday appeared at a press briefing at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, and lambasted the current mayor for the ACC move.
He also claimed the ACC violated his and his family's constitutional rights by not giving them any chance to defend themselves.
Referring to Mayor Taposh, Sayeed Khokon said, "Let me tell Taposh, the people know how many votes you got when you were elected to the office. Residents of Dhaka are seeing your activities. Now you are blaming me for your failures? I, and the people of Dhaka, will fight the legal battle."
"Neither me nor my family have any objection to the ACC investigation. The ACC can investigate. But I do not expect the ACC getting involved at the instigation of anyone. As a citizen of the country, I would like to see the neutral role of the Commission," he told the press briefing.
The ACC alleged in its plea that the eight bank accounts were used for "abnormal, huge and suspicious" transactions.
There have been bids to transfer the money from the accounts, according to the ACC.
On Tuesday afternoon, ACC Secretary Md Anwar Hossain Howlader said, "The ACC did not seize the bank accounts belonging to Sayeed Khokon and his family under the influence of anyone. The ACC works independently."
He said if the ACC deems it necessary, it will summon Sayeed Khokon for quizzing.
Khokon is the son of Mohammad Hanif, the late mayor of the undivided Dhaka. A member of the Awami League's Central Working Committee, Khokon was the mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation from 2015 to 2020.
