DHAKA: Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has exempted seven officers of Bangladesh Milk Production Cooperatives Association (Milk Vita), including its vice-chairman Shafiqur Rahman from money embezzlement allegation.

ACC received a complaint that some officials of Milk Vita including Shafiqur took crores of taka from some 500 employees in the name of giving appointment them to the company.

In the report, the Anti-graft watchdog said that as there was no evidence found of corruption against the Milk Vita officials, the commission cleared the seven from corruption allegations after one-year investigation.

In 2013, the Cooperative Directorate formed a seven-member committee with Milk Vita's Vice-Chairman Shafiqur Rahman as the chief.

The committee was asked to appoint workers, giving priority to those workers who temporarily served the company between 2000 and 2008.

But the committee finalised the appointment of 500 workers on April 17, ignoring the directives. On April 18, the workers, who worked in the state-owned milk producing and marketing company on irregular basis during the depicted duration, demonstrated in front of its head office demanding their appointments.

Later, ACC received a complaint that some officials of Milk Vita including Shafiqur took Tk one lakh to Tk three from each of them for recruiting them to the company. In June last year, ACC started investigation into the allegation.

BDST: 1638 HRS, MAY 17, 2015
RS/SMS