The Anti Corruption Commission is set to interrogate Bilkis Akhter Hossain, wife of detained BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, in connection with an inquiry into the BNP leader’s alleged involvement in laundering Tk9.54 crore to the United Kingdom.
The ACC Deputy Director Ahsan Ali yesterday served a notice to Bilkis Akhter asking her to appear before commission at its Segunbagicha headquarters on April 8, an official said.
According to the case statement, Khandaker Mosharraf, a former minister, illegally acquired over £800,000 (Tk95,395,381) by abusing his capacity between 2001 and 2006, and concealing information.
The sum has been put in a joint fixed-term deposit account at Lloyds TSB Offshore Private Banking at Guernsey in the UK. The joint account belongs to him and his wife Bilkis Akhter Hossain.
“Since the bank account belongs to both the BNP leader and his wife, we will question her and will try to verify the information. We will also try to trace whether she was involved with the irregularity or not,” the official added.
On the same day, Ahsan Ali also served notices to top eight officials of state-run Petrobangla, including two managing directors of its sister concerns, to appear before commission in connection with its inquiry against Petrobangla Chairman Md Hossain Monsur on charge of acquiring illegal wealth.
The ACC has primarily found that Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited managing director Nowshad Islam has earned a huge amount of money by providing illegal gas connections in commercial and residential buildings.
“He has allegedly received bribes of Tk15 lakh to Tk20 lakh for each illegal gas commercial connection and Tk1lakh for residential connections,” officials said.
After specific allegations, the ACC on March 9 assigned Ahsan Ali to investigate into alleged involvement of Petrobangla chairman in accumulating illegal wealth through appointments in 13 of its companies, violating rules. The allegation said the chairman in connivance with some of his associates appointed a good number of employees violating the rules of the company.
Meanwhile, the ACC has also served a notice to Narcotics Control Department Inspector (Ramna circle) Azizul Islam to appear before the commission on April 6 for questioning on charge of accumulation of illegal wealth.
Quoting the allegation, ACC officials said that Azizul Islam, commonly known as Danga Aziz, joined the narcotics department as an inspector in 1998 and within a short time, he had accumulated numerous assets, including a shop at Eastern Plus market at Shantinagar worth around Tk1.5crore, among others.