The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to file a case against eight individuals, including Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq, on charges of money laundering, misuse of power, and causing financial losses to the state while implementing their political agenda.
Joy is the son of the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while Saima is her daughter.
Radwan is Hasina's nephew.
According to an ACC press release, the case has been prepared under sections 409 and 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.
Sajeeb is the chairman and trustee of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) as well as the former ICT affairs adviser to Hasina.
Saima is the trustee and vice-chairman of CRI, while Radwan is the trustee of the organisation.
The five other accused are Nasrul Hamid (Bipu), trustee of CRI; Shabbir Bin Shams, executive director of CRI; Rowshan Ara Akhter, member (tax appeal) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR); Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, former chairman of NBR and former senior secretary at the Internal Resources Division; and AHM Mustafa Kamal, former finance minister.
The ACC report said the accused, in collusion with each other, misused authority to unlawfully grant tax exemptions to CRI, an organisation not registered with the Department of Social Services.
They obtained undue financial benefits by issuing a statutory regulatory order for income tax exemptions under the guise of public welfare.
Besides, CRI unlawfully received Tk 45.36 million in donations from 23 companies through coercion.
Between the fiscal years 2013-14 and 2023-24, it generated Tk 1.0 billion in illegal income, out of which Tk 157 million was misappropriated.
According to the ACC findings, Tk 2.48 billion was deposited and Tk 1.91 billion was withdrawn through 25 bank accounts, amounting to Tk 4.39 billion in suspicious transactions.
The accused also evaded Tk 36 million in income tax, violating Part B, Clause 11B of Schedule 6 of the Income Tax Ordinance 1984.
The illegally obtained money was transferred, converted, and distributed among various individuals.
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