The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two separate cases against six officials of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and the owners of two private container depots alleging a revenue loss of Taka 16.8 crore caused by fraudulent manipulation of holding tax assessments.

Md. Al Amin, deputy director of the ACC's Chattogram Integrated District Office-1, confirmed the filings on Tuesday morning, saying the cases were registered at the office on Monday (November 9).

Mohammad Nurul Alam, a tax official in the CCC's Revenue Circle-8, is named as an accused in both cases. 

Sayed Alam, an assistant director at the same ACC office, filed them under Sections 477(A), 409 and 109 of the Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. 

The charges concern abuse of power and collusion to alter the City Corporation's annual tax assessments, leading to evasion of holding taxes.

According to ACC sources, Case No. 03 alleges a revenue loss of Taka 8.4 crore. 

Besides Nurul Alam, the accused include retired Deputy Tax Officer Md. Abdul Kader, Assistant Tax Collector Md. Manjur Morshed, Rupashi Rani Deb, an accounts assistant in Revenue Circle-7, and Yusuf Abdullah Harun, owner of the private container depot Incontrade Limited. 

Harun is a former president of the FBCCI and a former Member of Parliament.

Case No. 04 also alleges a revenue loss of Taka 8.4 crore. Along with Nurul Alam, it names Joy Prakash Sen, deputy tax officer of Revenue Circle-7, Mohammad Ahsan Ullah, an accounts assistant in Revenue Circle-8, and Haji Md. Abul Kashem, owner of the private container depot Messrs. Eshak Brothers Limited.

According to the case statement, CCC officials and employees, acting in collusion and abusing their authority, committed fraud by manipulating appeal forms ("P-forms") and field books. 

In the documents relating to Incontrade Limited, the digit "2" at the start of the assessed amount was erased with correction fluid. The figure was then changed to 56,704,750 BDT and presented to the review board. The case alleges that this illicit advantage cost the CCC Takak 2.8 crore (28 million BDT) annually, or Taka 8.4 crore over three years.

A similar method was allegedly used for Messrs. Eshak Brothers Limited.

The leading "2" in the assessed amount was erased with correction fluid, and the figure was changed to 63,819,250 BDT before being presented to the review board.

The case states that this illegal benefit cost the CCC Tk 8.4 crore over three years.

The CCC had earlier uncovered the fraud during an internal investigation and initiated departmental action against the officials involved.