ACC raids ‘Brazil House’ over alleged oil theft

Staff Reporter:

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has conducted a raid at the so-called “Brazil House” in Fatulla, Narayanganj, as part of its crackdown on corrupt officials of state-owned oil companies accused of amassing illegal wealth through oil theft.

According to an ACC press release issued Sunday evening, the operation followed media reports revealing the lavish lifestyle and suspected illegal assets of Jamuna
Oil Company’s CBA leader and gas station operator, Joynal Abedin alias Tutul.

The report, published a day earlier, exposed allegations of massive corruption involving officials in the oil sector.

An ACC enforcement team from the commission’s Dhaka head office visited the Fatulla depot of Jamuna Oil Company Limited to verify the claims.

During the operation, the team collected calibration charts of storage tanks No. 22 and 23, along with records of oil received and distributed from the depot.

The team also visited “Brazil Bari,” the residence allegedly built by Joynal Abedin with illicit funds. Initial evidence regarding his wealth accumulation was gathered during the inspection.

“The collected data and documents will be thoroughly reviewed, and a detailed report will be submitted to the commission,” the ACC said in its statement.

The raid marks one of the ACC’s recent moves to investigate systemic corruption in state-run oil companies following widespread allegations of embezzlement and fuel theft.

Meanwhile, ACC Chattogram Deputy Director Subel Ahmed told media that after the newspaper’s exposé, the commission also gathered information from Jamuna Oil Company’s Patenga office.

“We have collected preliminary data and are working on it. However, no separate operation has been carried out there yet,” he clarified.

The ACC has intensified surveillance on several oil depots and storage facilities across the country amid growing concerns over large-scale misappropriation of fuel and illegal enrichment by certain officials.

The commission said more enforcement actions may follow once the investigation report is completed.