I’ve been victimised: Sharif Uddin

Sharif Uddin, recently sacked deputy assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has said he has been a victim of unjust treatment.

He made the remarks in a video message, released on Monday, in response to the ACC allegations.

On Sunday, ACC Secretary Dr Mahbub Hossain told a media brief that Sharif kept about Tk94 lakh in his possession for nearly one and a half years, which was recovered during a drive at the land office in Cox's Bazar.

About the allegation, Sharif said, "After confiscating the money from Cox's Bazar, we brought it to our Chattogram office. I kept it in the office vault and all of our DDs and directors knew about it."

He went on to say that the process of depositing seized money in Bangladesh Bank is very complicated and the central bank told the ACC to deposit the seized money in a vault. Presenting the seized evidence during trial would be difficult if the money was deposited at the treasury.

"Moreover, as the case is with the DC office, and the deposit was to be done under their authority which could compromise the evidence. There are many instances of sensitive evidence going missing from the DC office," said Sharif.

He said there is no specific law or guideline preventing the investigating officer of a case from holding seized money and he had written a report about it before being transferred to Patuakhali.

"There was no criminal intent for not depositing the money to the treasury," Sharif said.

Commenting on another allegation of not handing over investigation documents to ACC after being transferred to Patuakhali, Sharif said he had left behind 130 dockets in six cupboards at the ACC Chattogram office.

"I was not given any order to hand over the files, not even after I was transferred to Patuakhali. Despite that departmental action has been taken against me for not providing the documents," added the former ACC official.