The World Bank's three-strong panel to review the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC) investigation into alleged corruption in the Padma
Bridge project has arrived in Dhaka Sunday morning.
The fate of the $2.9 billion project now depends on the panel's findings, as its report will decide whether the largest financier in the project will return with its $1.2 billion promised fund.
A Bank official in Dhaka, asking not to be named, told bdnews24.com: "The three members of the panel arrived early this morning (Sunday). They will stay until Oct 16."
The panel is led by former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno Ocampo. The two other members are Timothy Tong, former Commissioner of the Independent Commission against Corruption in Hong Kong, and the former director of the UK Serious Fraud Office, Richard Alderman.
The team is expected to have a meeting with the ACC Chairman Ghulam Hossain and other top officials of the graft watchdog Sunday.
When contacted, Ghulam Hossain on Saturday also confirmed bdnews24.com about the meeting over phone. "We will have a meeting with them at the ACC headquarters after lunch."
Officials from both the ACC and the global lender's Dhaka office said the three-member panel will hold several meetings with the anti-corruption body officials.
The WB official in Dhaka said the panel will also meet Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, who is currently in Tokyo, if the minister can make it to Dhaka in time before the delegation's departure.
The Finance Minister is supposed to return to the country at around noon on Oct 16.
The Washington-based multi-national lender on Oct 5 had constituted the panel to review the ACC investigation on the alleged corruptions on the Padma Bridge project.
The government and the ACC have already assured the panel led by former ICC Chief Prosecutor Ocampo of providing all necessary assistance in carrying out the enquiry.
The World Bank on June 29 had cancelled its pledged fund, claiming to have found 'credible evidence' of high-level corruption by government officials, SNC-Lavalin executives and private individuals for the project. But the government has been refuting the allegations.
Amid the government's persuasion, the Bank announced revival of the agreement on Sept 20 but said the final decision would be taken based on its enquiry supervision panel's report.
The Bank's graft probe panel is assigned to supervise the anti-graft watchdog's current investigation into the corruption allegations from outside as per the condition set by the bank.
Ocampo , the 61-year old Argentine criminal law specialist, was vocal against the 'corruption' and 'violation of human rights' by the autocratic government in his own country.
A former member of the advisory board of Transparency International, Ocampo was also an associate professor of Criminal Law at the University of Buenos Aires and a visiting professor at Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
He was appointed as the first prosecutor of the ICC following its formation in 2003.
WB President Jim Yong Kim on Saturday expressed his hopes that the lender's review panel will ensure transparent investigation into the alleged corruption in the project, which is currently being investigated by the ACC.
Bangladesh signed a loan agreement with WB, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency last year to construct the six-kilometre long bridge, biggest ever infrastructure project in Bangladesh.
However, the implementation of the project was clouded in uncertainty after the World Bank announced that it was pulling out from it.
The global lender earlier suspended its promised fund soon after graft allegations surfaced in the project in September last year. They said they had to scrap the loan agreement as the government did not meet all of their conditions.
After the World Bank decided to cancel funding for the project, former Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain resigned and the Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was sent on leave, as part of an understanding with the global lending agency.
Besides these moves, the government also agreed to allow the ACC to supervise the investigation into the alleged corruption later.
The fate of the $2.9 billion project now depends on the panel's findings, as its report will decide whether the largest financier in the project will return with its $1.2 billion promised fund.
A Bank official in Dhaka, asking not to be named, told bdnews24.com: "The three members of the panel arrived early this morning (Sunday). They will stay until Oct 16."
The panel is led by former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno Ocampo. The two other members are Timothy Tong, former Commissioner of the Independent Commission against Corruption in Hong Kong, and the former director of the UK Serious Fraud Office, Richard Alderman.
The team is expected to have a meeting with the ACC Chairman Ghulam Hossain and other top officials of the graft watchdog Sunday.
When contacted, Ghulam Hossain on Saturday also confirmed bdnews24.com about the meeting over phone. "We will have a meeting with them at the ACC headquarters after lunch."
Officials from both the ACC and the global lender's Dhaka office said the three-member panel will hold several meetings with the anti-corruption body officials.
The WB official in Dhaka said the panel will also meet Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, who is currently in Tokyo, if the minister can make it to Dhaka in time before the delegation's departure.
The Finance Minister is supposed to return to the country at around noon on Oct 16.
The Washington-based multi-national lender on Oct 5 had constituted the panel to review the ACC investigation on the alleged corruptions on the Padma Bridge project.
The government and the ACC have already assured the panel led by former ICC Chief Prosecutor Ocampo of providing all necessary assistance in carrying out the enquiry.
The World Bank on June 29 had cancelled its pledged fund, claiming to have found 'credible evidence' of high-level corruption by government officials, SNC-Lavalin executives and private individuals for the project. But the government has been refuting the allegations.
Amid the government's persuasion, the Bank announced revival of the agreement on Sept 20 but said the final decision would be taken based on its enquiry supervision panel's report.
The Bank's graft probe panel is assigned to supervise the anti-graft watchdog's current investigation into the corruption allegations from outside as per the condition set by the bank.
Ocampo , the 61-year old Argentine criminal law specialist, was vocal against the 'corruption' and 'violation of human rights' by the autocratic government in his own country.
A former member of the advisory board of Transparency International, Ocampo was also an associate professor of Criminal Law at the University of Buenos Aires and a visiting professor at Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
He was appointed as the first prosecutor of the ICC following its formation in 2003.
WB President Jim Yong Kim on Saturday expressed his hopes that the lender's review panel will ensure transparent investigation into the alleged corruption in the project, which is currently being investigated by the ACC.
Bangladesh signed a loan agreement with WB, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency last year to construct the six-kilometre long bridge, biggest ever infrastructure project in Bangladesh.
However, the implementation of the project was clouded in uncertainty after the World Bank announced that it was pulling out from it.
The global lender earlier suspended its promised fund soon after graft allegations surfaced in the project in September last year. They said they had to scrap the loan agreement as the government did not meet all of their conditions.
After the World Bank decided to cancel funding for the project, former Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain resigned and the Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was sent on leave, as part of an understanding with the global lending agency.
Besides these moves, the government also agreed to allow the ACC to supervise the investigation into the alleged corruption later.
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