There is a packet but no goods inside. Rangpur Metal Industries Limited (RMI), a company within the PranRF Group, was not spared in the end for committing such fraud. They were caught in this fraud while supplying conductor cables to the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB).
Although some say that such feats are not new to RMI, they are doing this all the time because they got away with it for some unseen reason. Experienced sources say that if proper investigation is done in the various stages of evading the government, such serious issues may become clear.
According to the information, the contract for supplying 600 kilometers of D-27 bare conductors to Rangpur Metal Industries through a tender with REB is Contact Number BREB/DP/15/PBSFG-275/2014-205, Tender ID-1020408.
On May 25, Rangpur Metal Industries Limited, a subsidiary of Pran RFL Group, supplied 750 drums of bare conductors as per the final consignment. After the pre-inspection during the supply of goods, the supply certificate was issued on that date. Out of this, 300 drums of D-27 bare conductors for 240 km were supplied to the warehouse in the Khulna area on May 31. As per the rules of REB, the goods were tested in the warehouse as per the samples during the external inspection from the concerned department.
On June 1, the warehouse inspection committee again inspected 300 drums. It was found that although they were properly packed and numbered, there was no conductor in drum number 404. After such fraud by Pran RFL was detected by REB, various questions arose about them. The said bare conductor equipment was supplied to three warehouses.
REB has taken the initiative to re-examine the set to see if any of the remaining 299 drums supplied by the company were empty. The matter was confirmed in a letter signed by REB IT Director Md. Rabiul Islam on June 2.
The matter was conveyed to the Director of the Accounts Department of the Rural Electrification Board, the Deputy Director of the Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong warehouses, and Rangpur Metal Industries through letters.
Experts believe that Pran RFL Group covers losses and makes more profit in such activities by bidding at low prices. On the other hand, it is important to find out who else is involved in this fraud to harm REB. A few days ago, Meghna Star Cable Company submitted fake VAT documents while supplying goods, which was caught by REB.
The question has arisen, why are companies that are committing or have committed such frauds while supplying electrical equipment given the opportunity to supply goods again without being blacklisted in the supply process. There are allegations that this is not decreasing due to the collusion of a group of corrupt officials of REB with the companies that have committed corruption and fraud.
Regarding the matter, Md. Shahjahan Ali, Director of the Material Planning and Standard Specification Department of REB, said that this is a deliberate act of the company. It is not a mistake to pack an empty drum with wood and then supply it. When such goods come to the warehouse, they are jointly re-examined by a committee. This was also the case in the case of Rangpur Metal providing this bare conductor.
He said that for such activities, punishment instructions usually come after the final audit.
However, when a message was sent to Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman of PRANRFL Group, asking about the matter, he did not give a direct answer.
Touhid Zaman, DGM on behalf of the PRANRFL Group, said that it was a mistake. The packed empty drum went and then another drum full of goods was sent. The empty drum was not supposed to be packed, and when asked why it was sent by beating it with a number and packing it, and how this mistake happened, he could not give a correct answer.
