Dhaka Bureau: Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed is not facing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) interrogation. He is scheduled for questioning on Sunday (June 23). However, even in the second phase, he is not appearing on the summons of the ACC. Although he applied for time in the first phase, he has not yet applied for time in the second phase.
However, ACC law does not allow for second-time applications. In such a situation, a notice of filing of the assets statement will be sent to his address soon. After those 21 working days, and if he applies for a later time, he will get another 15 working days. However, since Benazir will not be able to receive the ACC notice due to his stay abroad, he will also fail to submit the asset statement to the ACC. Considering the issues, the investigation team of the commission is preparing multiple cases against him. According to ACC sources, this information is known.
A senior officer of the ACC, who did not want to be named, said that if Benazir Ahmed does not submit the asset declaration, there will be two cases. There will be a ‘non-submission’ case for not submitting the assets statement to ACC and another case of ‘acquisition of illegal (beyond known income) assets’ based on the evidence of illegal assets of Benazir and his family members. The ACC Act provides for a 10-year sentence in cases of acquisition of assets beyond known income and three years in cases of non-submission.
ACC’s chief lawyer, Khurshid Alam Khan, said if Benazir Ahmed does not come for questioning, he will not be given time for questioning. But the search will continue. After the investigation, the investigation team will submit a report to the commission. After that, further activities will be conducted with the permission of the commission.
It is known that Benazir Ahmed left the country with his family on May 4. Earlier, he was called for questioning on June 6. As he was staying abroad, he was not present at the ACC that day. Later, when he applied for time, he was called on Sunday with 16 days. Besides, Benazir’s wife, Jisan Mirza, and two daughters, Farhin Rishta bint Benazir and Tashin Raisa bint Benazir, were called on Monday for questioning. They also left the country with Benazir on May 4. Whether they have come to the country to participate in the interrogation—this too could not be confirmed.
The three members of Benazir’s family were earlier summoned for questioning on June 9. Being abroad, they also could not appear on the scheduled date. Later, when they applied for time, they were called on Monday with 14 days.
It should be noted that Benazir Ahmed was the Director General of RAB from January 7, 2015, to April 14, 2020. Then he served as Inspector General of Police until September 30, 2022. The investigation by the ACC has revealed that he became the owner of huge wealth during the tenure of these two terms. After reviewing the documents presented in court, it was found that the total value of 4 plots on 24 khata land in Dhaka’s Rupganj is Tk 245 million. The plots were purchased on September 29, 2022, in the name of Savannah Eco Resort.
On September 9, 2018, 2 flats in a 14-story building named Rupayaan Miliya Square on 13.66 khata land were purchased at the price of Tk 65 lakh 87 thousand 500. On December 26, 2016, Benjir took a lease of 25 acres of land from Bandarban District Court. Besides, shares in Citizen TV were bought on February 26, 2017, and shares in Tigerfit Apparels (Garments) Limited Company on August 1, 2022. ACC stated that the shares of these two companies are in the name of Benazir, his wife Zeeshan Mirza, and his three daughters, Farhin Rista bint Benazir, Zahra Zareen bint Benazir, and Tahsin Raisa bint Benazir.
ACC Deputy Director Hafizul Islam, the investigating officer of the case, told the court that on April 22, a three-member investigation team was formed. The review of documents shows that in the news published in various media, the former Inspector General of Police Benazir has been accused of abuse of power, various irregularities, and corruption in his name, in the name of his wife Zeeshan Mirza and girls, and has acquired hundreds of crores of undisclosed assets in the country and abroad.
