An Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation has revealed that Abzal Hossen, the suspended accountant of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and his wife Rubina Khanam laundered 42 crore taka to Malaysia, Canada and Australia over the course of five years from 2013. The couple also bought a house and invested in three business establishments in Australia.
Abzal Hossen is currently under ACC investigation and behind bars while Rubina Khanam is on the run.
On September 2, court placed Abzal on 14-day remand in two cases.
On August 26, Abzal Hossen surrendered before Dhaka Metropolitan Judge's Court through his lawyer and sought bail but court denied his prayer and sent him to jail.
During ACC grilling Abzal confessed to laundering 9,29,670 Ringgit (Malaysian currency) between September 11, 2013 to July 28, 2016 through a joint account of Mybank Islamic Berhad in Malaysia, said the investigators of the case seeking anonymity.
Abzal also confessed, in four bank accounts of CIMB Bank of Malaysia opened under the name of his wife Rubina Khanam some 22,11,191 Ringgits (Taka 4.51 crore) was deposited between May 22, 2013 to July 28, 2016.
From December 3, 2015 to December 29, 2017 Abzal also laundered 22,23,655 Canadian Dollars in Toronto Dominion Bank and later transferred the money to Australia and bought a house and developed three business establishments.
In another bank account of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, popularly known as ANZ Bank, Abzal deposited 1,60,000 Canadian Dollars in July 26, 2016.
During the interrogation, ACC also unearthed that Abzal laundered 56,88,667 Australian Dollars in four different banks accounts of Westpac Banking Corporation, ANZ Bank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Through the laundered money, which amounts to more than Taka 34 crore, Abzal invested in three Sydney based companies: R-5 Development Private Limited, R-5 Investment Family Trust and Mimi Travel International Private Limited.
To bring back the laundered money, ACC has sent Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request to the Malaysian government through attorney general office of Bangladesh.
Initiatives have been taken to send MLA to Canada and Australia too said, ACC sources.
Talking with The Business Post ACC spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattachariya said, "The investigation team dug out loads of information about the money the couple laundered in Malaysia, Australia and Canada which is Taka 42 crore so far. We suspect that he laundered more money and ACC is committed to unearth all the information.”
After filing the case, Abzal’s wife went on the run and ACC on September 15, sent arrest warrant in different police stations against her.
Rubina was a stenographer in a branch of DGHS and later she opened a business organization named Rahman Trade International which was involved with different business dealings with DGHS.
Abzal Hossen was the office assistant of directorate general of health services who used to draw Taka 30,000 monthly.
In ACC documents, Abzal Hossen was defined as cunning, lower grade employee with strong backup.
ACC in June 27 last year, filed two cases against the couple on the allegations of acquiring Taka 34 crore worth property and laundering money worth Taka 285 crore in home and abroad.
According to FIR (First information report), the couple laundered and transferred the money in the name of supplying medical accessories and hardware in different media colleges and hospitals.
The allegations brought by ACC against Rubina said, she acquired illegal wealth worth Taka 31.51 crore which was kept secret in their wealth information and Abzal possessed Taka 4.79 crore which ACC believed earned by illegal means.
ACC also filed a case in April 26, last year, against 10 people including the couple on the allegations of embezzling Taka 37 crore by procuring unnecessary things for Cox's bazar medical college.
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