ACC quizzes suspended DGHS official Abzal over illegal assets
We are searching for Abzal’s wife Rubina Khanam, ACC secretary said
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is quizzing Abzal Hossain, a suspended official at the medical education department under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), on the first day of a 14-day remand in two cases filed over amassing a large amount of illegal assets.
ACC Secretary Muhammad Delwar Bakht told this to journalists today.
"He was taken to ACC head office from jail at around 1:30 pm," Delwar Bakht added.
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ACC secretary also said, "We are searching for Abzal's wife Rubina Khanam. After the investigation, we will find out how much wealth the couple have amassed in Bangladesh and abroad."
Earlier, on September 2, a Dhaka court placed Abzal Hossain on 14-day remand in two cases filed over amassing a large amount of illegal assets.
On August 26, the same court sent Abzal Hossain to jail after he surrendered before it, seeking bail in the two separate cases.
Abzal is the lone accused in a case while he and his wife are accused in another case.
On June 27 of 2019, ACC deputy director Md Towfiqul Islam filed the two cases at the ACC Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka, accusing the couple of committing the corruption.
Earlier, on June 27, 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) Deputy Director Taufiqul Islam filed two cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act- 1947 and the Money Laundering Act-2012, at its Dhaka integrated district office-1 at the capital's Segunbagicha area. Abzal had been on the run since then.
In the two cases, allegations have been levelled against Abzal and his wife Rubina Khanam for embezzling illegal assets worth Tk36.30 crore and laundering money equivalent to some Tk284.51 crore through long-term transfers, conversion and exchange.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has accused Abzal of embezzling Tk4 crore and concealing the information about assets worth Tk2.21 crore in his statement submitted to the ACC. In another case against the Abzal couple, ACC charged them for amassing Illicit assets worth Tk31 crore, and for concealing information on property worth Tk5 crore.
According to the case statement, Abzal went for accumulating wealth in the name of his wife to protect himself from coming under the corruption scanner, making her wealthier than him. No legitimate sources of these funds were to be found.
The evidence of money laundering of Tk20 crore against Abzal and Tk284 crore against his wife Rubina Khanam was found in the ACC's deposition.
