Chargesheet accepted against Jabed and 36 others for embezzlement

The court has accepted the chargesheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed and 36 others on charges of embezzling about Tk 250 million from United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL) and laundering the money abroad.

On Wednesday (January 7), the court of Senior Special Judge Md. Hasanul Islam of Chittagong issued arrest warrants against 34 absconding accused in the case along with accepting the chargesheet. The other two accused in the case are currently in jail, said ACC lawyer Rezaul Karim Rony.

Earlier, on January 5, the investigating officer of the case and Deputy Director of the ACC Head Office Md. Mashiur Rahman submitted the chargesheet to the Chattogram Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court. Earlier, on July 24, he had filed a case against former minister Jabed, his wife and 31 others at Chattogram District Office-1. In addition to former Land Minister Jabed, the charge sheet names a total of 36 people, including his wife Rukmila Zaman, younger brother Asifuzzaman, sister Roksana Zaman, and various officials and employees of UCBL Bank and Aramit Group. This is the first charge sheet filed by the ACC against Jabed.

During the investigation of the case, bank official Abdul Awal and an official of the company owned by Jabed, Kazi Md. Dildar, have been recommended for exemption from judicial proceedings due to their deaths. In addition, seven more people were included in the charge sheet after the investigation found evidence of their involvement. As a result, the number of accused has increased to 36. A total of 92 people have been called as witnesses in the case.

According to the charge sheet, a trade license of an organization named 'Vision Trading' was obtained by showing Aramit Group's protocol officer Farman Ullah Chowdhury as a fake businessman. Later, on October 13, 2019, a current account was opened in the name of that organization at the Chittagong Port branch of UCBL Bank. Then on February 13, 2020, a time loan application was made for 180 days, mentioning the import of wheat, turmeric, chickpeas and peas. Despite the negative opinion of the concerned officials on the loan proposal, the bank's board of directors approved the loan without any proper scrutiny.

The approved loan amount was transferred through pay orders to the accounts of four nominal institutions - Alpha Traders, Classic Traders, Model Trading and Imperial Trading. Later, these funds were embezzled through cash withdrawals and transfers to various accounts.

The ACC investigation further revealed that the embezzled money was smuggled abroad through hundis and properties were purchased there. At the same time, the liabilities were adjusted by showing the money as a deposit in the accounts of Aramit Cement and Aramit Thai Aluminum Limited, owned by Jabed. The complaint states that these financial irregularities took place between October 13, 2019 and February 13, 2020.

In this incident, the accused have been charged with various offences punishable under sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 109 of the Penal Code, as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.