DHAKA, Dec 19, 2024 (BSS) - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has conducted drive in various institutions in several districts and found evidences of irregularities and corruption.  

ACC Deputy Director (Public Relations) Akhtarul Islam said that a drive was conducted today at a 250-bed hospital in Gopalganj district on allegations of various irregularities. At the beginning of the drive, information was collected by secretly posing as patients and recording videos of various irregularities in the hospital.

During the visit, the team found primary evidence of allegations of excessive fees being collected at the ticket counter at the hospital, doctors being absent from work without permission, public suffering due to MRI and CT scan machines not being operational for 8-10 years, various irregularities due to not keeping the store register updated, money-making activities with providing medical certificates related to police cases, not distributing blankets kept in the store to patients, and collecting money from ECG machines and trolley users.

The superintendent of the 250-bed hospital in Gopalganj informed the ACC team that necessary action will be taken against those responsible based on the information revealed in the operation.

The enforcement team will submit a full report to the commission after reviewing the records collected during the operation.

Meanwhile, an operation was conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, Integrated District Office, Sylhet, regarding the allegation of wasting money by paying overtime allowance to officials and employees of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited in violation of the rules.

During the operation, it was found that the salary statements of the employees of that office for the month of November were reviewed, although 195 employees were working, salaries and overtime allowances were paid to 222 employees.

From July to November, a total of Taka 235,11,526 was paid to the employees as salaries and a total of Taka 271,86,621 was paid as overtime allowances. This showed that the amount of overtime allowance is much higher than the basic salary. Moreover, no registrar of overtime allowances was found.

 In addition, the team learned that Sylhet Gas Fields Limited paid a total of 210,57,981 taka in overtime allowances to its employees in the fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, resulting in financial loss to the government, and an audit objection has been filed, which has not been resolved yet.
 
Another drive was conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, Rangpur Integrated District Office in response to allegations of bribery against BRTA, Rangpur officials and employees in providing driving licenses, learner cards, fitness certificates and other services.

During the operation, the team collected complaints from the service recipients. During the operation, the ACC team arrested two brokers red-handed. The brokers were fined and sentenced to imprisonment by the Executive Magistrate.

In addition, records and information related to the complaint were collected from BRTA, Rangpur during the operation.

In response to allegations of embezzlement against the authorities of the Tanor Upazila Post Office in Rajshahi by not paying the customer's savings, an operation was conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, Rajshahi Integrated District Office in the Upazila Post Office.

The ACC team spoke to the postmaster currently working at the office and some customers and found out that there is primary evidence of the former postmaster embezzling the customers' savings. The enforcement team will submit a detailed report to the commission after reviewing the records of the ongoing investigation into the complaint.

In addition, a team of the Anti-Corruption Commission conducted a raid at the Election Commission Secretariat today in the wake of allegations of corruption and bribery in the registration of national identity cards.