Ex-additional IGP, wife own Tk 30cr illegal assets: ACC

Former additional IGP M Shamsuddoha Khandaker and his wife Ferdowsi Sultana Khandaker illegally amassed wealth worth Tk 30.35 crore, found an Anti-Corruption Commission probe.

The couple also concealed information of wealth worth Tk 36.91 crore, said the probe report submitted before a Dhaka court yesterday.

The two also laundered Tk 62.34 crore, said the ACC.     

ACC Assistant Director Khorshed Alam, also investigation officer of two graft cases, yesterday filed two charge sheets with the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka, accusing Shamsuddoha, also former chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and Ferdowsi, said an ACC assistant inspector working at the court.

Shamsuddoha has been named in the two charge sheets, while Ferdowsi has been included in a charge sheet.

On November 21, 2019, ACC Deputy Director Shahin Momtaj lodged a case against Shamsuddoha and another one against Ferdowsi, bringing allegations of hiding wealth information and amassing illegal wealth.

One of the two charge sheets said Shamsuddoha illegally acquired wealth worth Tk 2.87 crore and concealed wealth information worth 8.44 crore.

"Ferdowsi amassed wealth worth Tk 27.48 crore beyond known sources of income, while she concealed information of wealth worth 28.47 crore," investigator Khorshed said in another charge sheet.

Shamsuddoha abetted his wife in her acquiring the illegal wealth, the investigator added.

He started his career as assistant superintendent of police on August 28, 1986. Shamsuddoha became an additional IGP in 2011 and worked as BIWTA chairman from September 1, 2011, to February 28, 2015, according to the probe report.

"During his service, the former IGP misused power and accumulated a huge amount of assets beyond known sources of income. His wife Ferdowsi has a huge amount of wealth though she is a homemaker," it also said.

"Shamsuddoha claimed that he earned Tk 2.5 crore as salary, various allowances and from farming. He made a profit of Tk 1.5 crore after investing Tk 2.5 crore. He also got Tk 70 lakh from land sale. But he did not provide the ACC with any documents in favour of his claim," the investigator mentioned in the probe report.

In one case, the investigator appealed to the court to issue an arrest warrant for Shamsuddoha.

His wife Ferdowsi is on bail.

The charge sheets are likely to be placed before the judge of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka today, a court staffer told The Daily Star yesterday.