Former adviser Matin, ex-secy Motahar sued for Tk 25cr damage

A lawsuit was filed yesterday against former adviser of the immediate past caretaker government Maj Gen MA Matin (retd) and ex-shipping secretary and incumbent member of Privatisation Commission, Sheikh AK Motahar Hossain and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) claiming Tk 25 crore in compensation.
Proprietor of the Everest Enterprise, Shahadat Hossain Selim, filed the lawsuit with the first Joint District Judge’s court of KM Imrul Quayes.
After a hearing, the court accepted the suit and asked the defendants to appear before it on October 14 with their written statements.
In the lawsuit, MA Matin, shipping adviser to the immediate past caretaker government using his power awarded work permit for container handling operation of Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) to the third lowest bidder MH Chowdhury Limited instead of giving it to the lowest bidder Everest Enterprise.
The Everest Enterprise said that it has suffered financial and goodwill loses of Tk 25 crore as a result of awarding the contract of the container handling operation to the third lowest bidder instead of the lowest bidder.
The CPA floated tender on May 25 in 2008 for container handling operation of the CCT. A total of 11 companies participated in the tender. Everest Enterprise was the lowest bidder offering Tk 44,36,46000 (Forty four crores, 36 lakhs and 46 thousands) while MH Chowdhury Limited was the third lowest bidder offering Tk 59,20,50,000 (Fifty nine crores, 20 lakhs and 50 thousands).
But, instead of providing work order to Everest Enterprise, the last caretaker government cancelled the tender at the last moment. Selim in his lawsuit blamed the then shipping adviser Matin for cancellation of the tender that deprived his firm of the contract.
Meanwhile, following the recommendations of a parliamentary watchdog body, the shipping ministry will file case within this week against former adviser Major General MA Matin (retd) on charge of corruption.
The ministry will also send the parliamentary committee’s recommendations regarding the former adviser to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with a request for taking legal action against him.
Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan said on Sunday, “The shipping ministry will file a case this week against former adviser MA Matin as per recommendation of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry. The ministry will also send the parliamentary committee’s recommendations to the Anti-Corruption Commission and ask it to take action against him.”
The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury also said on Sunday that former shipping secretary Sheikh Motahar Hossain and seven officials were involved in the deal.
The chairman said the tender was not invited properly in line with the government rules and the CPA did not hold any board meeting before awarding the contract.
Besides, false certificate was given in favour of Ishaq Brothers, a “novice” company. He said the tendering process caused financial losses to the public exchequer.

Courtesy of The Independent