Investigators' statement on war crimes charges against Moosa unclear: Imran

Ganajagaran Mancha Spokesperson Imran H Sarker has demanded that the International Crimes Tribunal investigators must make it clear whether they are 'under pressure to save Moosa Bin Shamsher' from the trial on war crimes charges.

Imran made the demand on Wednesday, a day after bdnews24.com reported that freedom fighters are 'ready' to testify against controversial tycoon Moosa, a relative of a top ruling party leader, for alleged war crimes.

Claiming that ICT investigators and witnesses were earlier pressurised in several cases, "Now I think what they (ICT investigation agency) are saying, saying it for the sake of making a statement. But their statement is not specific."   

"They could have clearly said whether they were feeling any pressure from any corner or a particular individual," he added.

Freedom fighters of Faridpur have alleged the ICT investigation agency was not paying any heed to the allegations of 1971 war crimes against Moosa, who is an in-law of Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.

The Awami League's Faridpur district unit General Secretary Syed Masud Hossain is among the freedom fighters who brought the allegations while speaking to bdnews24.com.

Senior Coordinator of the ICT investigation agency, Sanaul Haque, however, told bdnews24.com that the agency 'did not find sufficient evidence' to launch a formal investigation against Moosa.

He also denied the allegation that the investigation was stuck due to Moosa's relationship with Selim, a cousin of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Journalist-columnist Abu Sayeed Khan, who says he had evidence against Moosa and included those in his book 'Muktijuddhe Faridpur', has expressed dismay over the ICT investigators' reaction to the allegations of war crimes by the tycoon.

Journalist Probir Shikder, who lost many of his family in the war, thinks the ICT investigation agency is 'trying to evade the liability'.

Sanaul's comments also failed to satisfy Imran, who coordinates the activities of Ganajagaran Mancha, a platform of activists demanding the maximum penalty for war criminals.

Imran, the son-in-law of Awami League leader and Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, said" "The investigation agency is not making it clear whether they are investigating the matter.

“Specific charges against him (Moosa) will be got once the inquiry is launched. But first, we need to know whether they are investigating the matter. Their statement seemed very unclear to me."

"They have not yet said whether they took into cognisance the charges brought by the victims," he added. 

He said the people also needed to know whether the investigation agency or the witnesses were facing any pressure like many previous cases.

"We want every war criminal, whatever his political identity is, no matter from which family he is from, or whoever he is, he has to be handed the maximum penalty," Imran said.

Terming the people who have spoken against Moosa 'important ones', he said, "I think there is no scope of bypassing it. The investigation agency has to say in clear terms what they have gotten in the investigation to prove their impartiality."

"If they want to save themselves in some particular cases, it won't be good news for war crimes trial," he added.

Asked whether they have any information on Moosa's alleged involvement in war crimes, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmool Committee President Shahriar Kabir told bdnews24.com: "We didn't work at the district level. We work at the central level. They (war crimes suspects like Moosa) were at district and Mahakuma levels. We didn't work beyond the central committee because we didn't have the resource."

He, however, thinks that the trial of Moosa should start only after getting sufficient evidence against him.

"Otherwise we won't be able to call him a 'Razakar' if he is proved innocent in the trial," he said.

Freedom fighters AKM Abu Yusuf Siddiqui Pakhi and Babu Nath, who testified against two war criminals beforehand, expressed concern over their security considering the influence and riches of Moosa but said they were ready to testify against the tycoon too.

Shahriar Kabir, emphasising the security of the witnesses said, "What if those willing to testify (against Moosa) will not appear? The government will have to arrange protection of the witnesses."

He also demanded the arrest of Moosa once the specific evidence is obtained. "The fear will remain if he is not arrested, otherwise who will dare to testify against him? And the family members will surely try to foil the trial to prove him innocent."

He also advised the witnesses to organise a media conference and speak formally.

"Let the people know that the investigators are sparing someone for his powers, money," he said.

No comment was available from Moosa for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the war. bdnews24.com tried for months for his comments but failed to reach him.

His son Bobby Hajjaj told bdnews24.com that the allegations aimed at 'character assassination' of his father.

Often referred to as ‘Bangladesh’s prince’ in foreign media, Moosa began trading in manpower through the DATCO Group he founded in 1974 but is better known in foreign media for his alleged ties to weapons trade.

The ACC in 2011 decided to probe Shamsher after another newspaper reported he had Tk 510 billion in Swiss banks but has not made much progress.

Known as Moosa Bin Shamsher now, his real name is Abu Daud Mohammad Moosa. He hails from Kajikanda village of Nagarkanda Upazila in Faridpur district.

His father Shamsher Molla was an employee of jute department before Bangladesh's independence and built home at Faridpur town where Moosa was raised.

Locals say Moosa, fluent in English and Urdu, developed a close relation with the Pakistan Army during the war. He was a student of Rajendra College at the time.