ACC probes Salman F Rahman over Tk 220bn 'embezzlement' in COVID vaccine procurement

Irregularities were found in the purchase of 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India's Serum Institute, according to the ACC

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has opened an investigation into former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s advisor and Beximco Pharma Vice-Chairman Salman F Rahman over allegations of embezzling Tk 220 billion in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.

The anti-graft watchdog's Director General Akhtar Hossain announced the development on Monday.

"The commission has decided to investigate allegations that an unscrupulous syndicate, including Salman F Rahman, Beximco Pharma Ltd, and others, misappropriated Tk 220 billion in state funds under the guise of COVID-19 vaccine procurement," he said.

Former health minister Zahid Maleque, health secretary Lokman Hossain, former BMRC chairman Modasser Ali, former principal secretary to the prime minister Ahmad Kaikaus, and other officials are also in the ACC's crosshairs.

According to a formal complaint submitted to the commission, irregularities occurred in the purchase of 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India's Serum Institute.

The complaint alleged that government procurement regulations were violated as the vaccines were purchased through a tripartite agreement between the Bangladesh government, Beximco Pharma, and Serum Institute -- without a competitive bidding process. Had the government directly purchased from Serum, it could have saved costs and secured an additional 6.8 million doses.

Beximco Pharma allegedly netted a profit of Tk 77 per dose after importing 70 million doses at a market price of Tk 425 per dose, which cost the government around Tk 2.97 billion.

Irregularities were also flagged in the procurement of 3.15 million doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine. The price was recorded at $100 per dose, despite a government committee approving the purchase at $10 per dose.

The complaint also noted that the cost of government-run COVID-19 testing was significantly higher than private-sector healthcare services.

It further alleges that Bangladesh's locally developed COVID-19 vaccine, Bangavax, faced repeated red tapes in securing approval. It claims that regulatory obstacles were deliberately created to prevent Globe Biotech from marketing the vaccine, and approval for clinical trial was intentionally delayed.

It is alleged that the vaccine was blocked because Globe Biotech did not share its technology with Salman's Beximco Group.

Salman is currently in jail, facing multiple charges stemming from the anti-discrimination protests that toppled the Awami League government last year.

He has been implicated in cases related to murders across different parts of Dhaka and has undergone multiple rounds of police remand.

The ACC has also filed several cases against him for illegal wealth accumulation and loan fraud.