Graft watchdog sues PWD gardener for illegal wealth

The Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC has charged a gardener of the Public Works Department with amassing wealth illegally.

A case filed against gardener Selim Mollah and his two wives claims they built Tk 31 million worth of property, most of which is illegal.

Selim lives with two wives although he married four times, according to ACC officials.

The ACC filed a case with Ramna Police Station on Thursday accusing Selim and his two wives of owning illegal property worth Tk 24.2 million out of their entire wealth of Tk 31 million.      

ACC spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told bdnews24.com that the case was filed by Deputy Director Md Faridur Rahman.

The multimillionaire gardener bought an apartment in North Shahjahanpur showing his second wife Hafiza as its owner. He also bought a Toyota Premio car in her name, according to case details.

It said he bought a piece of land in the neighbourhood of Khilgaon for his first wife Parveen Akter.

Also, Selim owns a microbus, a truck, and a three-storey building in his ancestral village in Manikganj, said Rahman.

Selim was appointed as a gardener to the Arboriculture Division of PWD in 1984.  

Then he worked as an office assistant in the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on special duty.

According to ACC officials, he accumulated wealth using his position to influence official tasks and taking bribes.

ACC found Selim and his two wives could not show any income against most of their property.

Selim valued his property at Tk 1.31 million in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC on October 31 last year.