DHAKA: A Dhaka Court Sunday accepted the final probe report of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in much-talked-about Padma Bridge graft case.

The court also acquitted Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, former secretary of Bridge Division, and three officials of SNC Lavalin among all seven accused.

Senior Special Judge Mohammad Johurul Haq passed the order accepting the probe report. ACC Special PP Abdus Salam confirmed the matter to banglanews.

On September 3, the ACC cleared all accused in the Padma bridge corruption conspiracy case.

Later ACC probe officer, also a deputy director Mirza Jahidul Alam submitted the report before Dhaka CMM court clearing former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury though their names came in the scam allegation.

World Bank, on June 29, 2012, cancelled $1.2 billion funding for Padma Bridge project, saying it had proof of a corruption conspiracy, in which some Bangladeshi officials, executives of SNC Lavalin and some individuals were involved.

On December 17 of the same year, ACC filed a case with Banani Thana accusing Bridges Division secretary Mosharraf, Superintendent Engineer of Bangladesh Bridge Authority Kazi Mohammad Ferdous, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department Reaz Ahmed Zaber, and former local agent of SNC Lavalin Mohammad Mostofa and its ex-officials Ramesh Shah, Kevin Wales and Mohammad Ismail. 

The anti-graft body, however, did not include the names of Abul Hossain and Abul Hasan in the case.

According to the case statement, Mosharraf Hossain dissolved the evaluation committee four times between January and June 2010 in efforts to award the consultancy job to the company of his choice.

Mosharraf also violated World Bank’s Consulting Services Manual 2006 becoming head of the fourth evaluation committee as he had not 10-year experience in this field, which was a pre-requisite to lead such a committee. 

BDST: 1251 HRS, OCT 26, 2014