ACC files case against Hasina over toll scam

The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed a case against 17 individuals, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and seven former ministers, over allegations of causing a financial loss of Tk 309.42 crore to the government in connection with the Meghna-Gomti Bridge toll collection contract.

The case was filed on Sunday at the ACC's Integrated District Office in Dhaka, said ACC public relations officer Tanjir Hasan.

The accused include Hasina, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Obaidul Quader, Anisul Huq, MA Mannan, MAN Siddique, Md Faruq Jalil, Mohammad Shafiqul Karim, Md Firoz Iqbal, Ibne Alam Hasan, Md Aftab Hossain Khan, Md Abdus Salam, Munir Uz Zaman Chowdhury, Selina Chowdhury, and Ikram Iqbal.

The allegations stem from a 2016 decision to award the toll collection contract to Computer Network Systems Ltd (CNS) through a single-source tender, bypassing competitive bidding.

The previous tender was cancelled, and CNS was awarded a five-year contract with a service charge of 17.75 percent of total toll revenue. As a result, CNS received Tk 489.43 crore in bills -- significantly higher than comparable contracts.