The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has recovered 23 bags of documents linked to the illegal wealth acquisition of former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed.
The evidence was seized from a residence in the Shikalbaha area under Karnaphuli police station in Chattogram early on Sunday morning.
Earlier, on 17 September, the ACC arrested Jabed’s close associates Utpal Pal and Abdul Aziz. They were produced before court the following day in connection with a case alleging embezzlement and money laundering of Tk 25 crore from United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL). The court granted a five-day remand.
According to ACC sources, the operation was based on information provided by the two accused, who remain in custody over a loan-related embezzlement case. The seized documents include records of Jabed’s overseas asset purchases, bill payments, rent collection details, and court-related papers.
ACC Deputy Director Mashiur Rahman, the case’s investigating officer, said the accused revealed that many documents were initially kept at the house of Jabed’s wife Rukmila Zaman’s driver, Elias. However, these were removed shortly before an ACC raid. The 23 bags were later recovered from a small house.
Utpal, AGM of Aramit Group, was reportedly Jabed’s personal officer managing assets abroad and was a key figure in laundering funds to Dubai, the UK, and elsewhere. Abdul Aziz, AGM of Thai Aluminium, managed the buying, selling, and renting of Jabed’s properties.
The case, filed on 24 July, names 31 accused, including Jabed, his wife, and several UCBL officials. It alleges that fictitious companies were used to secure a Tk 25 crore loan, despite 17 negative observations from the bank’s Credit Committee, facilitating large-scale money laundering.
