Ex-IGP Benazir skips ACC quizzing again
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On June 5, Benazir's lawyer sought 15 more days from ACC
Former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed did not appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday, despite being granted an additional 16 days.
The ex-police officer was scheduled to appear before the ACC's probe committee at 10am on Sunday to address the allegations of acquiring wealth through undisclosed means. However, he did not show up at the ACC headquarters till the filing of this report.
Several ACC officials reported that Benazir Ahmed had not submitted any new requests for more time.
ACC Chairman Moinuddin Abdullah before the latest hearing said if Benazir fails to appear before the ACC, it will be assumed that he has no statement to provide.
Benazir and his family missed ACC appointments on June 6 and 9, respectively. The ACC then rescheduled the dates to June 23 and June 24.
On June 20, the ACC said they would not give Benazir Ahmed any more time for his interrogation over allegations of corruption and possession of illegal wealth.
Benazir served as IGP from April 2020 to September 2022 and as director general of the Rapid Action Battalion from January 2015 to April 2020.
He also served as commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for an extended period.
ACC officials said court orders had been issued for the seizure of Benazir’s assets discovered so far.
In total, 12 flats in Dhaka have been identified in the name of Benazir Ahmed's family, including an earlier discovery of four flats in Gulshan.
Following an application by the ACC, Dhaka Senior Special Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain recently ordered the seizure of eight flats belonging to Benazir Ahmed's family.
The court also ordered the seizure of approximately 76 bighas (25 acres) of land and shares in different companies.
Previously, the court had ordered the seizure of 621 bighas of land in Gopalganj, Madaripur, Cox's Bazar and Savar in Dhaka, shares in 19 companies, and four flats in Gulshan in two phases in the name of Benazir Ahmed and his family.
At that time, the court also ordered the freezing of Tk30 lakh in savings certificates, 33 bank accounts and three BO accounts (beneficiary owner's accounts for share trading).