Finance minister A M A Muhith has said media reports citing him on corruption allegations in Padma bridge construction and World Bank funding are 'incorrect'.
After the World Bank raised allegations against employees of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc, which had been short listed for Padma bridge project's monitoring, Canadian police in September launched an investigation into a likely instance of corruption.
He told at Secretariat on Sunday, "No newspaper properly reported the issue. Prothom Alo, Jugantor, Samokal—it was not properly reported anywhere."
The national dailies ran reports on his comments made at a press briefing in New York referring to the World Bank that it would not finance the project before the allegations against the communications ministry are fixed.
Asked about the 'proper information', the minister said, "I won't comment at this moment. I'll present the real incident at formal news conference tomorrow (Monday)."
Returning on Saturday from New York after attending World Bank and International Monetary Fund's annual meetings, he said the corruption allegations were discussed there.
The Bengali dailies carried reports on Friday based on interviews with him on the Padma bridge funding in New York. The reports quoted him saying that the World Bank has alleged that there is massive corruption in the bridge project.
The reports further claimed quoting Muhith that the bank has decided to stop its assistance to the project until allegations of irregularities and corruption against the communications ministry are resolved.
Canadian police in September launched an investigation following a referral by the Bank's anti-graft unit, which is investigating allegations of corruption in the bidding processes for the Padma bridge project.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina also ordered probe into the matter.
The World Bank signed a deal in April to lend $1.2 billion to Bangladesh to build the four-mile bridge over the river Padma. The bridge will link Bangladesh's underdeveloped south with the capital, Dhaka, and the country's main port, Chittagong. Once completed, it would be the largest bridge in the country.
After the World Bank raised allegations against employees of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc, which had been short listed for Padma bridge project's monitoring, Canadian police in September launched an investigation into a likely instance of corruption.
He told at Secretariat on Sunday, "No newspaper properly reported the issue. Prothom Alo, Jugantor, Samokal—it was not properly reported anywhere."
The national dailies ran reports on his comments made at a press briefing in New York referring to the World Bank that it would not finance the project before the allegations against the communications ministry are fixed.
Asked about the 'proper information', the minister said, "I won't comment at this moment. I'll present the real incident at formal news conference tomorrow (Monday)."
Returning on Saturday from New York after attending World Bank and International Monetary Fund's annual meetings, he said the corruption allegations were discussed there.
The Bengali dailies carried reports on Friday based on interviews with him on the Padma bridge funding in New York. The reports quoted him saying that the World Bank has alleged that there is massive corruption in the bridge project.
The reports further claimed quoting Muhith that the bank has decided to stop its assistance to the project until allegations of irregularities and corruption against the communications ministry are resolved.
Canadian police in September launched an investigation following a referral by the Bank's anti-graft unit, which is investigating allegations of corruption in the bidding processes for the Padma bridge project.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina also ordered probe into the matter.
The World Bank signed a deal in April to lend $1.2 billion to Bangladesh to build the four-mile bridge over the river Padma. The bridge will link Bangladesh's underdeveloped south with the capital, Dhaka, and the country's main port, Chittagong. Once completed, it would be the largest bridge in the country.
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