Cocaine case: ACC finds health ministry’s allegation untrue

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) did not find any truth in the health ministry's allegation that Nur Mohammad, an accused in the Chattogram Port cocaine case, was illegally given facility in the name of treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

The ACC submitted a final report to the Chattogram Metropolitan Court on 22 August, acquitting accused Dr Sheikh Mohammad Jamal Mostafa, former assistant director of Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).

Md Fakhrul Islam, investigating officer and assistant director of the ACC (Chattogram-1) told The Business Standard, "The then CMCH Assistant Director Dr Jamal Mostafa was accused of illegally providing benefits to Nur Mohammad, one of the main accused in the cocaine case, by the health ministry.

After the police, the ACC got the responsibility of investigating the case. I was the third investigating officer. But, after a long investigation, the allegation against Jamal Mostafa has not been substantiated. Therefore, I submitted the final report of the case acquitting the accused from the allegation."

According to court documents, Nur Mohammad, one of the main accused in the narcotics case filed over the seizure of cocaine from Chattogram Port in 2015, was transferred from Chattogram Jail Hospital to CMCH on 14 May, 2016, for treatment. He received treatment in different units of the hospital till 6 February, 2017.

Meanwhile, an investigation by the health ministry alleged that Dr Mostafa provided illegal facility to Nur Muhammad. On 19 August 2017, Dr Pranab Haldar, administrative officer of CMCH, filed a case against Dr Mostafa with Panchlaish police station in the port city.

After the initial investigation of the case, the police reported that the allegation was not substantiated. Later, the ACC got the responsibility of investigating the case. The then ACC Deputy Director Nurul Islam also reported that the allegation raised was not proved in the investigation.

Later on 24 June, 2019, Fakhrul Islam took charge of the investigation of the case. After a long two-year investigation, he also recommended that Dr Mostafa be acquitted from the case.

In this regard, CMCH Director Brigadier General SM Humayun Kabir said, "The incident happened a long time ago. We will decide what to do once we get documents from the court."

Dr Mostafa told TBS: "I did not know anything about it at that time, let alone providing facilities to Nur Mohammad. Just a few years before I retired, such an allegation left me severely injured and socially degraded. But I was sure from the beginning that I would be acquitted if there was a proper investigation."