ACC files four cases against former minister Saifuzzaman, family over UCB loan fraud

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed four cases against former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and members of his family, accusing them of embezzling large sums of money from United Commercial Bank (UCB) by taking loans using fake identities of farmers.

The cases were filed on Tuesday (11 November) at the ACC's Chattogram Integrated District Office-1, confirmed Subel Ahmed, deputy director of the office.

According to the case statements, four farmers were falsely presented as businessmen to open fake bank accounts and secure loans from different branches of UCB, a bank owned by the Chowdhury family. The loans were later misappropriated.

Two of the four cases name Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife Rukmila Zaman, former chairperson of UCB, as accused. Each of the four cases also includes his brothers—Anisuzzaman Chowdhury Rony and Asifuzzaman Chowdhury—and former UCB director Bashir Ahmed as defendants. His sister, Roksana Zaman Chowdhury, has been accused in two of the cases.

In one case, a farmer named Yunus was allegedly presented as the owner of a company called United Trading, which used an unsigned account form and a fake mobile number to open a bank account. From that account, Tk9.99 crore was withdrawn and embezzled. Bashir Ahmed has been named as the prime accused in this case.

In another case, a farmer named Nurul Bashar was portrayed as the owner of Bashar International, a supposed electronics import business. Tk8 crore was allegedly withdrawn and misappropriated through that account. The case names the former minister, his wife, siblings, and 17 others as accused.

The third case alleges that Tk8.5 crore was embezzled using a fake business named Unique Enterprise under the name of another farmer, Faridul Alam. Nineteen people, including Saifuzzaman, his wife, and brothers, have been charged in this case.

In the fourth case, Tk5.2 crore was allegedly withdrawn and embezzled under the name Mohammodia Enterprise, using the identity of a farmer named Ayub. Anisuzzaman, Roksana, and Asifuzzaman are among the 15 accused in this case.

The FIRs state that all accounts were opened without valid signatures and using fake mobile numbers.

ACC official Subel Ahmed said the cases were filed under sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 109 of the Penal Code, section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1947, and sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act.