Health sector corruption: Contractor Motazzerul Islam Mithu arrested
Motazzerul
Islam Mithu, accused of large-scale corruption in the health sector including
in the procurement of masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) during the
Covid-19 pandemic, was arrested from Gulshan last night.
Detectives arrested Mithu at
the request of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said Rabiul Islam Bhuiyan,
joint commissioner (North DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
"We
have already handed him over to the ACC," he told The Daily Star.
Mithu, owner of Lexicon
Merchandize and Technocrat, came under scrutiny during the pandemic over
allegations of supplying substandard masks, PPE, and other medical equipment.
In October 2019, the ACC had
sought a travel ban against Mithu, describing him as a controversial contractor
who allegedly embezzled and laundered large sums of money through syndicates
operating in the health sector.
ACC officials said Mithu
amassed properties worth several crores of taka, including agricultural land,
leased plots, and flats, through alleged graft.