In the wake of allegations of irregularities, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has sought necessary documents for the second time from Biman Bangladesh Airlines on an airbus that had underwent repair work in Singapore.
The anti-graft body has recently served a notice to managing director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Kevin Steele, asking him to provide necessary documents of the airbus repair work to the Commission within next August 13, an inquiry officer told UNB.
According to the ACC sources, Biman Bangladesh Airlines in 2008 signed a US$ 2.4 million deal with Singapore International Airlines Engineering Company to maintain and overhaul its airbuses.
Under the deal, the Biman authorities sent Airbus-310 to the Singapore International Airlines Engineering Company for repair in 2011 and it was brought back 10 later, spending an additional amount of Tk 2 crore.
“Allegations have it that the airbus had been kept in Singapore for a longer time than it required and thus a section of Biman officials misappropriated a good amount of public money,” the ACC inquiry officer said.
He said the Commission earlier served notice to the managing director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines to submit necessary documents of the airbus repair to it, but the notice went unheeded. “So, we sent a fresh notice to the Biman authorities on July 31.”
The ACC official said the graft watchdog could not carry out its probe into the Biman irregularities properly for lack of necessary papers. “After the scrutiny of Biman documents, we’ll be able to decide what should be our next course of action and who need to be grilled,” he added.
ACC deputy director Khairul Huda is currently conducting inquiry into the irregularities of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Source; UNBConnect
