ACC interrogates JMI Chairman over N95 mask scam
Sunday was the first day of a five-day interrogation
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has grilled Md Abdur Razzak, chairman of JMI Hospital Requisite Manufacturing Ltd, over supplying fake N95 masks.
Along with a team, Md Nurul Huda, deputy director of the ACC, quizzed Razzak Sunday at noon. It was the first day of a five-day interrogation.
Previously, Razzak had been brought to the ACC headquarters in the capital's Segunbagicha from Dhaka Central Jail.
The ACC arrested Razzak in Segunbagicha on September 29 over allegations of supplying fake N95 masks.
On the same day, Huda filed a case with the ACC integrated district office of Dhaka 1 accusing seven people of involvement in the incident. Later, a Dhaka court placed Razzak on a five-day remand.
According to case documents, JMI supplied fake N95 masks to the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD). CMSD officials received the masks without the survey committee verifying them according to official rules.
They distributed those masks among 10 health services institutions, thus putting doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals at risk of death.
The accused CMSD officials are: Dr Md Zakir Hossain Khan, deputy director, now posted at Cox's Bazar General Hospital; Dr Md Shahjahan Sarkar, assistant director of storage and distribution, now at S&D of CMSD; Dr Md Ziaul Hauqe, chief coordinator and desk 11 officer, now attached with the health directorate; Dr Sabbir Ahmed, desk 8 officer, now the medical officer of Dewanganj Health Complex; Md Kabir Ahmed, store officer, now on post-retirement leave; and Md Yusuf Fakir, senior store keeper.
Meanwhile, the ACC quizzed Sirajul Islam, former additional secretary of the Health Services Division, on Sunday as part of its enquiry into corruption in the health sector.
