TDS Desk:

A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered the seizure of 518 flats and apartments in the United Kingdom, valued at GBP 27,18,52,872, owned by former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Faiz passed the order following a petition filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Md Moshiur Rahman.

According to the ACC petition, a nine-member task force is investigating allegations of money laundering against the former minister and his associated persons and entities.

On 21 September last year, law enforcement recovered 23 sacks of documents of the accused from Chattogram. After detailed examination of the recovered documents, information regarding the said properties located in the United Kingdom was revealed.

During the enquiry, confidential sources informed investigators that the accused was attempting to transfer or dispose of the immovable properties through associated persons and entities, which could cause significant financial loss to the State.

Therefore, the ACC sought immegrafdiate attachment of the properties and requested that attachment orders be transmitted to the concerned country through Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) for evidence collection.