Padma graft: Canadian police charge Abul Hasan

DHAKA, Sept 19: The Canadian police have laid charges against former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury over the alleged corruption in Padma bridge project, reports Canada’s Financial Post.

Canadian construction giant SNC-Lavalin’s former officials Kevin Wallace, 46, Ramesh Shah, 62, and Mohamad Ishmail, 50, and Canadian citizen Zulfiquar Ali Bhuiyan are the others who have been charged as part of the ongoing investigation.

The charges relate to an investigation into the awarding of a contract for the supervision and consultancy services of the construction of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement.

However, none of the allegations have been proven in court.

Mr. Wallace, who is from Oakville, Ont., has been released with conditions and a promise to appear in court.

In his lawsuit, Wallace claimed he did not participate in or become aware of any wrongdoing by others at SNC in relation to the $12-million Padma Bridge proposal.

Mohammad Ismail and Ramesh Shah are already awaiting trial in Toronto facing similar allegations that they conspired to pay bribes to help SNC-Lavalin win a supervising contract worth $50 million for the Padma Bridge megaproject.

In April the World Bank barred the Canadian group and some 100 of its subsidiaries from bidding on bank projects for a decade following allegations the company offered bribes to win the contract for the four-mile (six kilometer) Padma bridge.

The bank also cancelled a $1.2 billion dollar loan for the project amid allegations of corruption involving senior Bangladeshi officials.

risingbd/ASB