ACC quizzes 8 DIP officials over Benazir’s passport ‘irregularities’

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has interrogated eight officials of the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) over the issuance of five passports to former inspector general of police (Ex-IGP) Benazir Ahmed and his family members.

They were quizzed at the ACC headquarters in the capital’s Segunbagicha area on Tuesday, according to the ACC sources.

A team of ACC officials led by its Deputy Director Hafizul Islam interrogated the eight officials. There are five passports in the name of Benazir Ahmed and his wife Zeeshan Mirza and their two daughters.

From the application to the distribution of passports issued in their names, eight persons including the director, deputy director, and assistant director have been interrogated, insiders say.

Media reports recently raised allegations that Benazir obtained an ordinary passport despite being a public servant. There are alleged irregularities in the issuance of these passports, which is a criminal offence under the government employment rules and the passport act.

Benazir Ahmed was IGP from April 15, 2020 to September 30, 2022. Before that, he served as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner and director general of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) recently launched an investigation against him over allegations of amassing illegal wealth.

On May 28 this year, the national anti-graft watchdog summoned Benazir Ahmed, his wife and daughters to face interrogation over graft allegations.

Benazir Ahmed was asked to appear before the ACC headquarters on June 6, while his wife and daughters on June 9. Later, on June 9, the ACC issued a fresh notice asking them to appear before the Commission on June 24. But none of them showed up.

However, ACC's investigation has so far found a total of 12 flats in Dhaka, 697 bighas of land in different districts, 19 company shares, Tk 30 lakh savings certificates, 33 bank accounts and three BO accounts (Beneficiary Owners Accounts of Share Business) in the name of Benazir and his wife and children. The court has ordered the seizure of these assets.

Benazir Ahmed left the country on May 4 before the court order came.