The Anti-Corruption Commission is taking preparations to file a case against former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, his wife Jisaan Mirza, and daughters Farheen Rishta and Tahsin Raisa on charge of amassing wealth beyond known sources of income.
ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmin at a briefing on Sunday said former police chief Benazir Ahmed would face legal actions as he did not appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The ACC Secretary also said that the commission has received a letter from the former inspector general of police containing his statement regarding the allegations of amassing wealth beyond known sources of income.
But, there is no information in the letter regarding his appearance before the ACC, she added.
"Now the ACC probe team will take further decision based on the statement of Benazir," she also said.
However, she did not reveal details of the letter.
"Benazir Ahmed was supposed to give his statement before the ACC and face quizzing on Sunday about the allegations made against him … The investigation team will take legal actions if he does not appear before the commission during office hours on Sunday to give his statement." she said.
She went on, "His wife and daughters have been asked to appear tomorrow. The investigation team will follow the law and take action against them if they also do not show up by the scheduled time tomorrow."
Benazir Ahmed did not appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday, even after the commission granted him 16 additional days to do so.
Benazir and his family members missed ACC appointments on June 6 and 9 respectively. The ACC then rescheduled the dates to June 23 and June 24.
Previously, he requested time to appear before the ACC once, but the ACC laws and regulations do not clearly specify provisions over the second extension.
The ACC on April 18 launched an inquiry into allegations that Benazir amassed huge wealth when he was the police chief.
Benazir, hailing from Gopalganj, was regarded as one of the most influential police chiefs in Bangladeshs history. His unbridled corruption raised eyebrows when it was first reported by a vernacular daily. Benazir rejected the allegations in a video message on his Facebook profile and has since avoided public appearances.
He and his family members fled the country earlier last month after emptying some of his bank accounts and liquidating assets. Their current whereabouts are unknown. It is unclear whether they will actually appear before the ACC.
