The High Court on Monday said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) may submit a progress report of its ongoing investigation against managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) Taqsem A Khan.
The ACC may submit the progress report within 15 days, said the HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat when ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan drew attention of the court to a newspaper report ‘Taqsem’s 14 houses in the US’
The report was published in Bangla daily ‘Samakal’ on Monday.
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However, the court did not pass any order based on the newspaper report.
According to the Samakal report, the Wasa MD bought 14 houses in different states of the US. Several intelligence agencies including US intelligence watchdog Interpol, have started investigating the source of his money to buy the houses and information about the transaction process.
According to the complaint submitted to the ACC recently, Taqsem laundered thousands crores Taka from Wasa’s big projects with foreign loans to the US through various means including hundi. He bought 14 luxury houses in posh areas of the country including Los Angeles, New York.
Taqsem, also a US citizen, joined Dhaka Wasa as MD in 2009 while staying in the US. All members of his family stay there.
Taqsem also stays with family in the US for about three months every year.
On December 5 last year, HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat asked the ACC for an update on the ongoing investigation against Taqsem following a writ petition challenging the legality of his’s appointment as Wasa MD.
Taqsem A Khan was appointed Wasa MD on a three-year contract in 2009. His contract was extended three times despitehis “poor performance”.
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On October 11, the Appellate Division Chamber Judge sought a report on how much money Taqsem received as salary, bonus and other facilities in the last 13 years.
He was drawing extra salary and allowances going beyond the rules. According to the latest board decision, the monthly salary of Wasa MD is Tk 6.25 lakh.
A case was filed against nine people including Taqsem alleging that Tk 132.4 crore of Dhaka Wasa Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society was withdrawn and embezzled from six banks through various checks with the help and instructions of Wasa MD.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) also sent a letter to all banks seeking information of accounts of the Wasa MD on August 25 last year.