ACC seeks Interpol red notice against ex-minister Saifuzzaman, wife Rukhmila

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sought court approval to issue an Interpol Red Notice against former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife Rukhmila Zaman, in a bid to block them from selling or transferring hundreds of overseas properties allegedly purchased with laundered money.

The petition was filed today (18 September) before Chattogram Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Abdur Rahman.

ACC prosecutor Mokarram Hossain told The Business Standard that investigators traced 582 flats and houses abroad in the names of Saifuzzaman and his wife, allegedly acquired with embezzled funds siphoned from Bangladesh.

"Now that the government has begun the process of recovering laundered money, we have credible information that they are trying to dispose of these assets. If transferred, recovery will become far more difficult. That is why we sought the red notice through Interpol," Mokarram said. 

The court fixed 21 September for hearing the petition, he added.

Under Bangladeshi procedure, the police's National Central Bureau (NCB) forwards such requests to Interpol following a court order or recommendation from investigators.

The request is tied to a corruption case filed on 24 July by ACC Deputy Director Mashiur Rahman accusing Saifuzzaman, his wife, and 29 others of laundering Tk25 crore borrowed from United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL).

Aides remanded in laundering probe

Meanwhile, a Chattogram court placed two of Saifuzzaman's close aides, Md Abdul Aziz, AGM of Aramit PLC and proprietor of Imperial Trading, and Utpal Pal, also an AGM of Aramit PLC, on five days' remand.

ACC alleges that the two men were central operatives in a network that laundered thousands of crores of taka abroad. 

They were produced before Chief Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Hasanul Islam yesterday morning. The court granted a five-day remand after a hearing, confirmed ACC Deputy Director Mashiur Rahman.

The two were arrested in Chattogram on 17 September and produced in court yesterday. Investigators said they recovered laptops and phones containing vital records of laundering operations.

According to investigators, Utpal allegedly managed Saifuzzaman's overseas properties and oversaw fund transfers from Bangladesh to Dubai, and later to the UK and other destinations.

Abdul Aziz acted as a custodian of properties purchased under Saifuzzaman's name.

New bribery case

In a separate development, the ACC today filed another case against Saifuzzaman and 10 others on charges of taking Tk52 crore in bribes, fraud, abuse of power, and money laundering.

Confirming the matter to TBS, ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam said the accused, in collusion with each other, abused their power and committed fraud by intimidating Abdul Kadir Molla, managing director of Thermex Group and client of UCBL Principal Branch, Dhaka, into paying Tk52 crore as bribes.

The money was then transferred, laundered, and siphoned abroad, he said, citing the statement of the case filed by ACC Assistant Director Md Sajib Ahmed.

The other accused in the new case include several officials of UCB, Aramit PLC and other business associates connected to Saifuzzaman.

Saifuzzaman, a senior Awami League leader, served as state minister for land from 2014-2018 and as land minister from 2019-2023. Allegations of building vast overseas wealth surfaced ahead of the 2024 general election.

On 5 August 2024, shortly before the fall of the Awami League government amid a student-led uprising, Saifuzzaman reportedly left for London with his wife and family, according to media reports.