Two aides of ex-minister Saifuzzaman admit role in money laundering scheme
Both admitted that they were directly responsible for overseeing Javed’s unlawful assets and acted as personal officers for him and his wife
Two executives of the Aramit Group have confessed in court to managing the illicit wealth of former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and helping in money laundering activities.
Utpul Pal, assistant general manager (AGM) of Aramit Group's finance division, and Md Abdul Aziz, AGM of Aramit Thai Aluminium Limited, were produced before Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin Mahmud today (22 September) and gave confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Both admitted that they were directly responsible for overseeing Javed's unlawful assets and acted as personal officers for him and his wife, confirmed Moshiur Rahman, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), who leads the task force investigating Javed's alleged corruption.
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"Utpul Pal and Abdul Aziz were not only employees of Aramit Group but also personal officers of Javed and his wife. They handled the former minister's private accounts and managed all his illegal assets in the country. They have admitted all this in their statements before the court," Rahman told The Business Standard.
The case stems from a complaint filed on 24 July by the ACC, alleging that Javed, his wife Rukmila, and 29 others embezzled a Tk25 crore loan from UCBL and funneled it abroad.
According to the complaint, the loan was obtained through fraudulent means, with employees of Javed's companies posing as owners of various shell businesses to secure and transfer funds to foreign accounts.
On 17 September, the ACC arrested Pal and Aziz from the Double Mooring area of Chattogram city.
Following a five-day remand, both were interrogated about their roles in laundering money overseas and managing Javed's assets.
The ACC said Pal was primarily responsible for moving funds abroad — from the UAE to the UK — while Aziz handled the purchase, maintenance, and management of Javed's assets.
Separately, on 18 September, Chattogram Senior Metropolitan Special Judge Md Abdur Rahman authorised the ACC to apply for Interpol red notices against Javed and his wife. The court approved the application on 21 September.
The investigation has also led to the seizure of 23 sacks of documents from Javed's residence in Shiklabaha, Karnaphuli, which reportedly contain details of overseas properties and rental income. Preliminary checks reveal Javed owns assets in at least nine countries, including India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the UK, the US, and the UAE.
Saifuzzaman fled Bangladesh for London in August just before the fall of the Awami League government.
Following the political transition, the ACC intensified its probe into his overseas wealth, revealing successive allegations of UCBL loan embezzlement, money laundering, and asset accumulation abroad.
