The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has applied for an Interpol Red Notice against former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife Rukmila Zaman in connection with a money laundering case. The petition was filed on Thursday at the Chattogram Senior Metropolitan Special Judge’s Court, which set Sunday for a hearing.
On July 24, the ACC filed a case against 31 individuals, including the former minister, his wife and siblings, as well as officials of United Commercial Bank (UCBL) and Aramit Group, over the embezzlement and laundering of Tk 25 crore. Two assistant general managers of Aramit, Abdul Aziz and Utpal Pal, have already been arrested.
According to the case, fake companies were created under the names of Aramit employees to secure loans for importing wheat, lentils, turmeric, and chickpeas. The money was later siphoned off, with UCBL officials allegedly approving the loan despite serious irregularities.
Earlier, the court ordered the seizure of Javed and Rukmila’s overseas assets and the freezing of 39 bank accounts. Investigations have traced 343 properties in the UK, 228 in Dubai, and 9 in the US under their names. Both are reported to be currently residing abroad.