Primary inquiries of the Anti-Corruption Commission found nothing to prove allegations of corruption against detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia involving Magurchhara gas field and Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation,(News TodayBD)

and lease of Phulbari coal mine to Asia Energy, reports UNB.

"The inquiry officer mentioned in his report that no information was found in the primary inquiry to prove the allegations against honourable former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia about Magurchhara gas field and Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation," ACC secretary Mokhles ur Rahman said during the Commission''s regular briefing Thursday afternoon.

Similarly, he said another report by inquiry officer Farid Uddin Ahmed mentioned that no information was found in the primary inquiry to prove the allegation against Khaleda Zia about the lease of Phulbari coal mine to Asia Energy.

Asked what were the allegations against the former Prime Minister, Mokhles said he would have look at the files before he could specify the allegations.

There is no merit for the time being to file first information reports, as necessary evidence and proofs were not found, he said adding that therefore, the inquiries have been suspended. The issue of compensation for the Magurchhara blowout was inquired, he added.

On allegation of impropriety about the lease of Phulbari coal mine, the ACC secretary said the agreement is still under process.

Facing a volley of questions from reporters, who suggested that agreements have already been signed, he did not provide any clear answer.

Replying to a query, Mokhles said that although primary inquiries officially began on 11 of the Commission''s list of 35 suspected corrupts, informal inquiries were going on about all of them.

Asked if the ACC is involved with the search in the residences of some of the graft suspects, he said ACC is not working alone, rather the taskforces are the combination of many government agencies.

Replying to a query, Mokhles acknowledged that the ACC chairman went

to the Chief Adviser today to discuss the autonomy of the Commission.

He said that at present, for any change or recruitment the process involve the Advisory Council, Head of the Government, Law Ministry, etc., which is lengthy. Given the autonomy, he said these could be done easily and the organisation would run in a better way.

The ACC secretary said a meeting to review the Commission''s activities was held today with ACC chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury in the chair. The meeting was attended by the ACC commissioners, secretary and about 150 officials including directors general, divisional and regional directors, directors, deputy directors, assistant directors and deputy assistant directors.

In the meeting, the chairman and the commissioners gave their observations how to increase the quality of work by the inquiry and investigating officers.

Mokhles informed that former Bangladesh Chhatra League president Liakat Sikder submitted his wealth statement today disclosing a bank balance of only Tk 5 and all the property he possessed is paternal.