More stunning information about the forest boss continue to surface as sources in Khulna yesterday alleged that Gani received Tk 57 lakh as bribe in last January from Sundarbans forest officials and took Tk 60 lakh from 60 officers assuring them of promotion.

So far, about Tk 4 crore in cash, gold ornaments and bank deposits, has been recovered from Gani's possession, an official of the joint force who led drives to reveal unbridled corruption of the forest chief, told The Daily Star yesterday. He also owns a five-storeyed building at Zigatola and two plots at Purbachal and Uttara, the official said. Other sources however said Gani and his wife have Tk 20 crore with different banks and around 150 bighas of land. On Thursday night fixed deposit receipts worth Tk 38 lakh were recovered from the garage of Gani's Uttara residence.

The interrogators revealed more information yesterday about Gani's involvement with an international timber smuggling syndicate that smuggled timber into the country from neighbouring countries. An influential former state minister assisted him in running the syndicate and they earned a huge amount of illegal money through the process.

The forest boss also prevented timber traders in Rangamati from cutting down trees from their timber gardens to establish monopoly on the timber business in the hills region, the investigators said.

The law enforcers also said that during April the forest boss allegedly took Tk 1 lakh each from 60 forest officials to get them promoted to the post equivalent to cadre ranks. And the money amounting Tk 1 crore that the joint forces recovered on Tuesday from Gani's Uttara residence most probably include the amount given by the promotion-hungry forest officials.

The huge property of the forest chief came to the notice of law enforcers after he drew around Tk 20 crore through different means from banks before visiting America in March this year. Since then the law enforcers had been watching his movement and on Tuesday raided the Uttara house of Gani who is now being quizzed on a seven-day remand at Joint Interrogation Cell.

"Gani is not giving clear information about his properties and the people who assisted him in the corruption. So, he might be taken on further remand," said an investigator. The crack force sources said they will prepare a list of corrupt forest officials and Gani's relatives and will arrest and interrogate them to get accurate statistics of Gani's wealth.

"I cannot say anything now as investigation into the case is going on. But it seems that the forest chief needs to be interrogated more," said Sayed Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Uttara Police Station.

"We are receiving information regarding existence of a number of bank accounts of the forest boss in different names," said a law enforcer requesting not to be named.

The law enforcers are looking for two brothers-in-law -- Khalek and Mintu -- who were Gani's helping hands in smuggling timbers from different forests to various sawmills in the capital.

It is also reported that five of his relatives became millionaires with the blessings of the forest boss. The dishonest government official earned money through different means including bribery for appointment, transfer, promotion and implementation of different government projects regarding forest, and smuggling timber. He also leased out forestlands at lower prices after taking bribe. A number of forest officials remained at their preferred places in Chittagong zone for years by bribing him Tk 6 lakh to 7 lakh.

Owner of a huge amount of ill-gotten wealth, Osman Gani did not properly look after his widowed mother and two mentally challenged sisters living at his ancestral home at Kriparampur village of Homna upazila in Comilla, locals said.

Our staff correspondent from Khulna reports: Gani realised Tk 57 lakh from officials and employees of east and west wings of Sundarban Forest Division threatening them to transfer to 'unattractive' places. Deputy ranger Mohammadullah and tour assistant Yunus Ali of the west wing collected the money, sources said.

While working as conservator of forest in Khulna from 1998 to 2002, Gani misappropriated Tk 3 crore by selling 368 lots of sundari wood.