Court orders to confiscate more properties of ex-IGP Benazir, family

A Dhaka Court on Wednesday ordered the confiscation of more properties of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, his wife Jissan Mirza and their three daughters Farhin Rishta Binte Benazir, Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir and Zara Jerin Binte Benazir.

Confirming the matter to BSS, public prosecutor (PP) Mahmud Hossain Jahangir said the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain passed the order, allowing a plea filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

“The court ordered to attach immovable properties and freeze the movable properties under section 14 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, Rule 18 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Rules-2007,” the PP said.

Of the properties, the court ordered to attach 24 kathas of land in Rupganj, three kathas of land in Uttara, two office spaces on a building in Badda, 25 acres of leased land in Bandarban and six flats in Adabor PC Culture Housing. The court also ordered to freeze the Benazir family’s shares of the Citizen Television and Tower Apparels Limited.

Earlier on May 26, the court had ordered to attach- properties including four flats in Dhaka bought under 119 deeds, four 100 percent owned companies, and 15 partially owned companies. The court also ordered the freeze four BO accounts. On May 23 the same court ordered to freeze 33 bank accounts and attach properties under 83 deeds of Benazir and his family.

Accusing the former IGP of amassing an 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.