Covid-time scam: Ex-DGHS DG, five others indicted

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against former boss of Directorate General of Health Services Abul Kalam Azad and five others in a case filed over embezzling government funds.

The five others are: Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed, ex-DGHS director (hospitals and clinics) Dr Aminul Hasan, deputy director (hospital-1) Dr Md Younus Ali, assistant director (hospital-1) Dr Md Shafiur Rahman and research officer Dr Md Didarul Islam.

All the accused pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman of Special Judge's Court of Dhaka yesterday read out the charges to them, said Anti-Corruption Commission Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir.

Earlier in the day, the judge dismissed their petitions seeking discharge from the case, added the state lawyer.

The judge fixed July 4 for starting trial of the case.

The accused were charged for their alleged involvement in embezzlement of government funds in the name of coronavirus sample collection and treatment without having any licence to do so.

According to the case statement, the accused pocketed over Tk 1.37 crore through fake Covid tests in the government-run lab Nipsom.

The ACC filed the case against Shahed and four others, excluding the name of Azad on September 22 of 2020.

On September 30 last year, ACC Deputy Director Md Farid Ahmed Patwary, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka.

In the charge sheet, Azad, former director general of DGHS, was named as evidence regarding his involvement in the scam was found during the investigation.