The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against former education minister and Member of Parliament for Chittagong-9, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, accusing him of amassing significant wealth beyond his known sources of income.
The ACC alleges that he acquired assets worth Tk2.94 crore without a legitimate source and conducted suspicious financial transactions involving a total of Tk211.20 crore through multiple bank accounts.
The commission investigations revealed that Mohibul operated 41 bank accounts where a total of Tk113.89 crore was deposited and Tk17.30 crore was withdrawn under questionable circumstances.
The ACC claims these transactions indicate violations of Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
According to the ACC investigation findings, Mohibul’s total wealth, including declared assets and expenditures, amounts to Tk5.44 crore, of which Tk4.38 crore is declared as net assets and Tk1.05 crore as family expenses.
However, his income tax records indicate a legitimate income of only Tk2.49 crore, leaving Tk2.94 crore unaccounted for.
The commission has stated in report that this discrepancy constitutes unexplained wealth under the applicable anti-corruption laws.
ACC also seeks Mohibul’s wife wealth info
According to the ACC findings report, the investigation committee has also found evidence of Mohibul’s wife, Emma Claire Burton, who amassed Tk84.35 lakh beyond her known sources of income.
Her total declared wealth stands to the commission at Tk1.01 crore, with annual expenses of Tk11.53 lakh, amounting to Tk1.13 crore in total.
However, her legitimate income accounts for only Tk29.08 lakh, resulting in an unexplained discrepancy of Tk84.35 lakh.
The ACC has issued a notice under Section 26(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, requiring her to submit a detailed statement of her assets.
But the commission also suspects that she may possess additional undeclared properties, both in her name and through proxies, commission mentioned in the report.
