Money laundering cases: Suspended DGHS official Abzal sent to jail

A Dhaka court today sent Abzal Hossain, a suspended accountant of the medical education department under Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), to jail in connection with two money laundering cases filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka passed the order after Abzal surrendered before it, seeking bail in the cases.

On June 27 of 2019, ACC Deputy Director Md Towfiqul Islam filed the two cases with ACC Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka 1, accusing Abzal and his wife Rubina Khanam of the corruption.

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

The other case was filed on charges of laundering money worth 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 their bank accounts.

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