Slow investigation into corruption of influentials, 1 case in 2 months

After the fall of the Awami League government in a mass uprising, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) began investigating the accumulation of illegal wealth by 180 politically and financially influential individuals, including former ministers, state ministers, and parliamentarians.

However, investigations are progressing at a slow pace. In the last two months, ACC has managed to file only one case after completing its investigation.

On 9 October, ACC filed a case against former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, based on specific information regarding his involvement in money embezzlement and corruption, including amassing illegal assets.

Asaduzzaman Khan's wife and two children have also been named as accused in this case. Additionally, his former Assistant Private Secretary (APS), Monir Hossain, is implicated as well.

Despite the case against the former home minister, there has been no progress in investigating the illegal assets of other influential individuals.

The officials involved in the investigation have compiled information on the assets amassed by these former ministers and lawmakers, based on the details provided in their election affidavits.

According to the ACC Act, when someone is accused of illegal acquisition of wealth or money laundering, an investigation must first be conducted.

A case is filed only if evidence is found during the investigation. An investigation officer appointed by the ACC then looks into the case, and after completing the investigation, a charge sheet is filed in the relevant court.

According to ACC sources, information has been sent to various banks, financial institutions, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and sub-registrar offices to ascertain the assets held by those under investigation.

Additionally, information has been sought from the Passport Directorate and the Immigration Police. However, little information has been received from these government institutions.

Five officials involved in the corruption investigation told Prothom Alo that the ACC lacks formal agreements with these institutions for obtaining information.

Typically, a letter is sent by post from the ACC to the relevant organisation, which takes about a week to arrive. Even after the letter is received, the concerned institutions usually discuss the matter internally before deciding whether to send the requested information.

This process can cause further delays, and in many cases, the necessary information is not fully available. As a result, the investigation is disrupted and prolonged.

Five deputy directors of the ACC emphasised to Prothom Alo that obtaining information from various government institutions is crucial to expedite the investigation of irregularities and corruption.

Moreover, the ACC needs to provide directives in cases involving influential individuals, including former ministers and parliamentarians. However, this is not happening effectively.

In many instances, it is necessary to search the homes and offices of the accused, but verbal permission from the ACC Commission is required, even when there is no legal barrier to conducting the search.

Unfortunately, this permission is often not granted in a timely manner. It is worth noting that the current chairman of the ACC, along with two commissioners and other top officials, were all appointed during the previous Awami League government.

Investigations into corruption allegations are typically conducted by ACC officers ranging from deputy assistant director to director level. The ACC has approximately 400 officers in these ranks.

Prothom Alo spoke with ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhter Hossain on 15 October regarding the concerns raised by deputy directors about lengthy investigations. He stated that the investigation officer has the authority to take any necessary actions for the investigation.

However, he emphasised that the commission must be informed about any sensitive matters. He reassured that investigations into influential individuals are ongoing and that cases will be filed against those involved once the investigations are complete.

After the fall of the Awami League government in a student-public uprising on 5 August, the ACC compiled a list of former ministers, members of parliament, controversial businessmen, bureaucrats, and police officers under investigation. As of last Tuesday, two former ministers, Amir Hossain Amu and Md. Kamrul Islam, were added to this list.

In total, the ACC is investigating the acquisition of illegal assets and money laundering involving 179 individuals, including 30 former state ministers. Initially, there were 180 names on the list, but a case has since been filed against former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan following the completion of his investigation.

Asaduzzaman Khan, along with his wife and children, is alleged to have amassed illegal wealth totalling Tk 605.5 million. Additionally, transactions amounting to Tk 4.16 billion have been recorded in 36 banks under their names.

The ACC has also gathered information indicating that Monir Hossain, who served as the APS to the former home minister, has acquired wealth of Tk 188 million that is not accounted for by his known income.

Among the former ministers who are now being investigated by the ACC are Hasan Mahmud, Anisul Haque, Hasanul Haque Inu, Dipu Moni, AHM Mustafa Kamal, Shajahan Khan, Tipu Munshi, Tajul Islam, Sadhan Chandra Majumdar, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Amir Hossain Amu, Imran Ahmed, Zahid Maleque, Golam Dastagir Gazi, Kamrul Islam, Abdur Rahman, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Nuruzzaman Ahmed, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, Faridul Haque Khan, Nasrul Hamid, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Meher Afroz (Chumki), Enamur Rahman, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Zakir Hossain, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, Zahid Ahsan Russell, Swapan Bhattacharya and Kujendra Lal Tripura.

The ACC is investigating the acquisition of illegal wealth by several former MPs, including Sheikh Helal Uddin, Noor-e Alam Chowdhury Liton, Qazi Nabil Ahmed, Iqbalur Rahim, Saifuzzaman Shikhar, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood (Swapan), Solaiman Haque Joarder, Enamul Haque, Benazir Ahmed, Abul Kalam Azad, Shahe Alam, Mansoor Ahmed, and Naimur Rahman Durjoy, among others.

In addition, investigations have begun into former army chief General (Retd) Aziz Ahmed, former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, former secretary Shah Kamal, former commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Asaduzzaman Miah, former additional commissioner of DMP Mohammad Harun Or Rashid, and several other former officials.

According to ACC sources, the investigation into former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury is in its final stages. He is reported to own 343 flats or houses in the UK, 228 in Dubai, and 9 in the US. Last Wednesday, the ACC applied to a court in Dhaka for the seizure of his illegal assets both in the country and abroad.

Although the ACC is purportedly independent, it is believed that it had not have been active without the government's approval. There have been strong allegations against the Awami League government for using the ACC as a tool to suppress political opponents. However, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on 5 August in a student uprising, the ACC has become more active.

The ACC began investigations last August into allegations against ex- PM Sheikh Hasina's former advisor and Beximco Group vice chairman Salman F Rahman, as well as controversial businessmen S Alam Chowdhury and Nafeez Sarafat. However, there has been little progress in examining the allegations of illegal wealth acquisition and money laundering involving these three individuals. 

According to ACC sources, information requested from Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) regarding S Alam has not yet been fully received.

The same applies to the investigation into Salman F Rahman's alleged illegal wealth.

Additionally, the deputy director assigned to investigate Nafeez Sarafat's assets has recently been transferred, prompting the ACC to form a new investigation team to gather information about these three businessmen.

Iftekharuzzaman, head of the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission, told Prothom Alo that the ACC failed to take action against corrupt individuals even when evidence was available during the Awami League government's tenure.

Following the government's fall, he noted, the ACC has exhibited excessive enthusiasm which, he suggests, may be a façade to cover up its shortcomings. He criticised the competence of ACC officials in conducting thorough corruption investigations and stated that if the ACC relies solely on affidavits, it reflects a lack of capacity and intentions. He concluded that effective action against corruption is impossible without a comprehensive overhaul of the ACC.

*This report, originally appeared in Prothom Alo print and online edition in Bangla, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat