TDS Desk:

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to file a case against eight individuals including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s children Sajeeb Wazed Joy, chairman of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), and Vice Chairperson Saima Wazed Putul, on allegations of causing loss to the state treasury, embezzlement of Tk15 crore and laundering money abroad by setting up CRI to assist in implementing a political agenda.

ACC issued a statement in this regard on Wednesday.

Among the other accused are Radwan Mujib Siddiq, Sheikh Rehana’s son and trustee of the organisation, former state minister for power Nasrul Hamid Bipu, CRI’s Executive Director Shabbir Bin Shams, former chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, NBR member Rowshan Ara Akhter, and former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

According to the ACC, by exerting unlawful pressure to obtain donations, CRI received Tk45.36 crore from 23 companies into its accounts. From 2013–2014 to 2023–2024, the organisation illegally earned a total of Tk100.31 crore.

The ACC said that after deducting the expenditures of Tk29.51 crore, CRI should have a balance of Tk70.80 crore in its accounts. However, the current balance is Tk55.11 crore, meaning that the remaining Tk15.69 crore has been embezzled.

It said that despite not being a registered organisation under the Department of Social Services and not engaging in public welfare activities, this organisation issued statutory regulatory orders to obtain and provide unfair tax exemptions through abuse of authority under the Income Tax Act, thereby committing criminal misconduct and criminal breach of trust by unlawfully benefiting themselves and others.

The statement said that by violating the Income Tax Ordinance 1984 and evading Tk36.52 crore in income tax, they caused financial losses to the government. They transferred, converted, and passed the illegally obtained funds to different individuals and misappropriated it.

“For these offenses, which are punishable under Sections 409/109 of the Penal Code, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, and Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012, the decision has been taken to file a case against them under the aforementioned legal provisions,” it added.