Dhaka: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has conducted raids in four passport offices including Dhaka in view of allegations of collusive bribery against employees for urgent passport, information correction and renewal.
The agency conducted the drive at Chandpur, Feni and Noakhali Regional Passport Offices and Passport Personalization Center, Uttara office on Thursday (April 25).
It is learned that an enforcement operation was conducted today from the ACC head office based on allegations of collusive bribery for correcting and renewing passport information at the Passport Personalization Center, Uttara office. During the operation, the enforcement team interrogated the accused person and seized his mobile phone. An analysis of the data of the seized mobile phones initially found the allegations to be true. A detailed report in this regard will be submitted to the commission.
Meanwhile, in the enforcement operation conducted from the Anti-Corruption Commission, District Office, Chandpur on the same complaint, the team monitored the activities and collected information under cover. During the observation, it appeared to the team that two Ansar members of that office demanded extra money for providing services. Later, the mobile phone of the person concerned was seized by the team as unusual transactions and suspicious information were found on the mobile phone of the person concerned. A detailed report will be submitted to the commission after reviewing the records collected during the operation and the forensic report of the seized mobile phone.
On the other hand, the Anti-Corruption Commission, Integrated District Office, Noakhali from Regional Passport Office, Noakhali, during the operation, the team collected the information related to the complaints through conversations with the service receivers and other employees of that office. In the initial observation, it has been revealed to the team that passport services are being provided through illegal financial transactions by the local brokers and the persons concerned and some employees of the head office in collusion with each other. In this regard, the team will collect the relevant records and submit a detailed report to the commission.
Besides, another enforcement operation was conducted from the Anti-Corruption Commission, Integrated District Office, Noakhali in view of complaints of customer harassment and demand for bribes against the officials and employees of the Regional Passport Office, Feni. During the operation, the enforcement team got prima facie evidence of the connivance of brokers with some employees of the said office.
Some mobile phones related to the complaint were seized for further analysis in this regard. A full report will be submitted to the commission after analyzing the data of the seized mobile.
Bangladesh Time: 1820 hours, April 25, 2024
SMAC/AAT
