‘Buying 14 Houses In US’: ACC can look into allegations against Wasa MD

GBNEWS24DESK//

The High Court yesterday said the Anti-Corruption Commission could scrutinise the allegations about Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqseem A Khan buying 14 homes in the USA.

The graft watchdog may submit the progress report on the issue to this court, the HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu said after ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan placed a news report, run by a Bangla daily yesterday regarding the allegations.

Khurshid prayed to the HC bench to direct the ACC on a suo moto (voluntary) rule to submit the progress report to it within 15 days, saying that the commission was probing two allegations in this regard.

The HC said it won’t pass any order or issue any rule as the ACC was conducting enquiries into the allegations.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Khurshid said he has already informed the commission about the HC order.

Contacted, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) MD said the allegations against him of buying 14 homes in the USA were “hundred percent false”.

Taqsem said he has been a US citizen for many years and that he holds dual citizenship, but neither he nor his relatives own mentionable properties there.

“I have nothing there [US]. My relatives don’t have wealth either. I have declared detailed information in my income tax file in the US,” he said.

The MD said people whose interests were harmed because of his “reform initiatives” at the Dhaka Wasa were behind the newspaper report.

Taqsem said the ACC was not conducting an investigation against him, it was rather probing appointment of directors to the Wasa board.

“There is no link between the ongoing investigation and this [assets in the US].”

Meanwhile, ACC Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah told The Daily Star that the commission would seek information about Taqseem’s wealth in the US.