The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved filing of two cases against Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana’s parents on charge of illegally accumulating wealth worth around Tk17 crore.
The decision came at the anti-graft body’s regular meeting at its headquarters in Segunbagicha, Dhaka yesterday, ACC Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune.
He said the ACC found proof during a primary investigation that Rana’s father Abdul Khalek owned assets worth around Tk10.25 crore, while his mother Morzina owned wealth worth around Tk6.68 crore, both allegedly having acquired the fortune through illegal means.
ACC Deputy Director Mahbubul Alam, who is also investigating the accused, will file the cases soon, Pranab said.
Last week, the ACC also served a notice to Rana, who is in prison, to submit his wealth statement through his lawyer to the commission.
On April 28, 2013 the ACC formed a probe team with two of its officials to look into the illegal wealth gathered by Rana and his family members.
After running the probe for nearly two years, they finally found evidence against the accused.
An ACC official, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that in 10-12 years, Rana became owner of two high-rise commercial buildings in the capital – one is the collapsed Rana Plaza, the other is Rana Tower, both in Savar.
He also has a five-storey residential building in Savar and two-storey residential building in Jaymandap, Manikganj to his name, the official said.
In addition, Rana owns two brick fields named Rana Bricks and MAK bricks.
According to the probe team, Rana has 23 bank accounts along with five loan accounts with EXIM Bank Limited, National Bank Limited, Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited and Brac Bank Limited. Besides, he has a fixed deposit receipt (FDR) account worth Tk35 lakh.
Khalek, on the other hand, owns an oil factory, while there are three residential buildings in his three sisters’ names – all in Savar and acquired illegally, the ACC official told the Dhaka Tribune.
