ACC seeks 20-day remand for suspended DGHS official in money laundering cases

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) today sought a 20-day remand for quizzing Abzal Hossain, a suspended accountant of the medical education department under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), in connection with two separate money laundering cases.

ACC Deputy Director Md Towfiqul Islam, also the investigation officer of the cases, submitted the remand prayers.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka fixed September for hearing on the remand prayers in the presence of the accused in the cases.

The judge directed the jail authorities to produce Abzal before the court on the scheduled date.

Yesterday, Abzal was sent to jail after he surrendered before the court, seeking bail in the cases.

On June 27 last year, the ACC deputy director filed the two cases with ACC Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka 1, accusing Abzal and his wife Rubina Khanam of committing the corruption.

The first case was filed against the couple on charges of  money laundering of Tk 263,76,81,175, concealing information of wealth worth Tk 5,90,28,926 and amassing wealth worth Tk 1,51,23,044 beyond the known sources of income.

ACC filed the other case against Abzal on charges of money laundering of Tk 20,74,32,032.12, concealing information of wealth worth Tk 2,01,19,785 and amassing wealth worth Tk 4,79,34,449 beyond known sources of income.

Although Abzal was a fourth-grade government employee, his five houses, including one in Uttara, several plots, and a house abroad, were inconsistent with his legal income, said a letter issued by the health ministry on January 13 last year.

The health ministry suspended Abzal on charges of corruption on January 14.

On January 21 last year, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court ordered confiscation of all properties owned by Abzal and his wife, a stenographer of the Medical Education and Health Manpower Development project under DGHS, and freezing all of their bank accounts.

On March 18, ACC confiscated Abzal's five-storey building, Tamanna Villa, located on road 11 of sector- 13 in Uttara.