Court orders seizure of NBR official’s assets

A Dhaka court yesterday ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate all moveable and immoveable properties of Quazi Abu Mahmud Faisal, first secretary (taxes and legal enforcement) of the National Board of Revenue, his wife Afsana Jasmin, and some of his close relatives over graft allegations.

Judge Mohammad Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court passed the order after Md Mostafiz, assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, also the inquiry team head, appealed for this.

He directed the authorities concerned to take initiatives so that Faisal and others could not hand over the properties or launder the money.

The judge ordered them to freeze 87 bank accounts of Faisal, his wife, and relatives.

The court also asked the anti-graft body to publish this order in a Bangla national daily and an English one.

ACC Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol confirmed it to The Daily Star.

The properties are: a five-katha plot bought for Tk 75 lakh from East-West Development (Pvt) Ltd by Afsana, a flat bought for Tk 1 crore from Rupayan Housing Estate Ltd in the city’s Ramna area by her father Ahmed Ali, a five-katha plot purchased from Jolshiri Housing Project in Khilgaon by Faisal and Afsana, saving certificates worth Tk 2.55 crore, Tk 6.96 crore deposited in bank and non-banking financial institutions, and other moveable properties worth Tk 6.89 crore. The total amount stands at Tk 16.41 crore.

The inquiry official also alleged that Faisal accumulated around Tk 1,000 crore by taking bribes for transferring income tax officials, intimidating taxpayers and resorting to other irregularities. He also tried to launder money abroad, which is under inquiry, the application said.

His relatives Aftab Ali, Kazi Khalid Hasan, Khandaker Hafizur Rahman, and Momtaz Begum were involved in acquiring his illegal wealth, the application mentioned.

It added that his wife, father-in law, and the aforementioned relatives have no legal sources of income.