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Special Correspondent/

The Intelligence Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested a personal assistant (PA) of a senior officer of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) from Motijheel area of the capital.

He was arrested on Friday while accepting a bribe from a businessman. The arrested person’s name is Gautam Bhattacharya. He is the Director General of ACC (Money Laundering). Mokammel Haque’s PA.

Two associates of Gautam’s bribe trade were also arrested. A case is being prepared against them. Multiple sources have confirmed this.

It is known that Gautam Bhattacharya forged the signatures of the ACC officials and prepared a letter of investigation against Ashikuzzaman, a resident of Gopalganj, a businessman from Uttara, Dhaka. He then demanded a bribe of Tk 50 lakh from him assuring him to register the complaint.

After knowing the matter, the DB officials started collecting intelligence information. At some point they came to know that the bribe money would be traded on Friday. The Deputy Commissioner of Lalbagh Division of DB Moshiur Rahman decided to raid only after this information was confirmed 100%.

Gautam and his two accomplices went to Hirajhil Hotel in Motijheel to collect bribe money from the businessman. Those two also identified themselves as ACC officials. Although they are not from ACC. They were caught red-handed while exchanging money for a packet of sweets. However, it was not confirmed how much money was seized.

A different source said that several complaints of extortion in the name of ACC came to the commission. The Commission decided to identify this extortionist syndicate in the identity of ACC officers by making fake letters and take legal action. The matter was then reported to the police. In continuation of this, DB launched an operation to get the trap of bribery transactions.

An ACC official said that detention with bribe money is a crime under section 419. This crime is not under the ACC schedule. As a result, the police will file a case against Gautam and hand him over to the court. Then the ACC will file a departmental case and suspend him temporarily. He may be removed from service if he is found guilty after investigation of the departmental case.

It is known that BCS 17th batch of officials Joint Secretary Md. Mokammel Haque joined the ACC as Director General (Money Laundering) last March. Gautam Bhattacharya served as his personal assistant. Gautam joined ACC in 2023 as a typist-cum-computer operator.

A DB official who took part in the operation admitted to the arrest of Gautam Bhattacharya and his two associates but refused to divulge details before filing a case. It is said that there is a negotiation going on at the ministerial level to protect the reputation of the ACC so that the case is not filed.