Top leaderships of DGFI, army linked

10-truck Arms Haul in Ctg
Top leaderships of DGFI, army linked
Claims Sahab in his judicial confession
Former NSI director Wing Commander (retd) Sahab Uddin yesterday hinted at links of a former top army official and an ex-DGFI high-up to the 10 truckloads of weapons seized here five years back.
The two attended the last meeting before arrival of the consignment of arms and ammo, Sahab said in his second confessional statement in the sensational arms haul case.
The meeting was held at a hotel in the capital’s Gulshan area two days before the seizure at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Limited (CUFL) on April 2, 2004, said sources quoting the statement.
Paresh Barua, operational wing chief of northeastern Indian insurgent group Ulfa, participated in the meeting disguising himself as one Amir Bhai.
Sahab gave his first confessional statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code on May 15.
Less than 12 hours after that, the Criminal Investigation Department arrested former National Security Intelligence chiefs Major Gen(retd) Rezzaqul Haider and Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim for alleged involvement in the weapons shipment.
His yesterday’s statement is similar to the one he made to the investigators after arrest on May 2, added the sources.
CID produced him before Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman at 2:30pm Saturday. Recording of the 31-page confession began at 4:15pm and went on till 2:35am.
The ex-NSI director (security) gave every detail of the botched attempt to have the arms transported through Bangladesh for the United Liberation Front of Assam.
He shed light on two more meetings that took place in Dhaka on March 28 and in Dubai on an unspecified date.
Brig Gen Rahim was in the meeting in Dubai with officials of Dubai-based ARY group and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
Sahab said Pakistan high commission in Dhaka was involved in the bid aided by NSI and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence.
He also said the weapons were coming in from China.
He however did not name the destination and the ship that carried the consignment into Bangladesh waters.
In the statement, Sahab once again accused among others Rezzaqul and Ex-NSI deputy director (mechanical) Major (retd) Liakat Hossain.
He claimed that the consignment was seized as Rahim pocketed all the money given for transportation.
He said a total of Tk 1.60 crore was received from ARY group. Of the amount, Rahim deposited Tk 1.20 crore in his account and bought a Lexus jeep with the rest.
Sahab was first remanded for three days on May 4 and then for six days at the Task Force for Interrogation cell on May 8.
His latest remand began on June 3 and ended on June 6.
Liakat was held on May 26.

Courtesy of The Daily Star