Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered the appointment of an official receiver or administrator for the immovable properties of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, his wife Jissan Mirza and their three daughters.
Dhaka’s Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain passed the order, granting a plea filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Confirming the matter,
ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir said the court on separate occasions has ordered to attach some properties owned by Benazir and his family members.
“The Investigation Officer on Thursday pleaded for appointing official receiver for those attached properties apart from four Gulshan flats. This receiver’s main duty would be maintaining the attached properties, inform the court on regular interval about the income and expense of the properties,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ACC has rescheduled the date to quiz former IGP Benazir to June 23 regarding the allegations of amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.
“Benazir Ahmed’s personal hearing was scheduled for Thursday as part of the inquiry,” said ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmin at a press briefing on Thursday.
However, the hearing did not take place as Benazir was not present at the commission.
“The inquiry team has issued a notice for Benazir’s hearing on June 23,” Khorsheda added. When asked whether the new date was set after a petition was submitted from Benazir, the ACC Secretary said the inquiry team fixed the new date and she was not present there on Thursday.
Earlier, on May 28, the ACC sent letters to Benazir, requesting his presence at the ACC Headquarters on June 6. Benazir’s wife, Jissan Mirza and their daughters were also asked to appear before the ACC on June 9 to provide statements about the graft allegations.
About quizzing Benazir’s wife and daughters on June 9, the ACC Secretary said, “We will see what happens that day.”
On April 18, the ACC initiated an inquiry against Benazir and his family members over allegations of illegal wealth. The investigation is being headed by Deputy Director Hafizul Islam.
The court on May 23 had ordered to freeze 33 bank accounts and attach properties bought under total 83 deeds of Benazir and his family. On May 26, the court again ordered to attach properties bought under 119 deeds, four 100 percent owned companies, 15 partially owned companies. The court also ordered to freeze four BO accounts.
Accusing the former IGP of amassing illegal wealth of Taka hundreds of crores under his and his family members’ names both at home and abroad, the anti-graft body in its plea on that day had said the accused are trying to sell or hand over the properties and launder the money abroad and if they succeed in doing so, the state would incur a huge loss.