Take steps to confiscate Dubai flats owned by Benazir's wife: court

A Dhaka court today ordered the relevant authorities to take steps to confiscate two flats in Dubai owned by Jissan Mirza, wife of former IGP Benazir Ahmed, in connection to a case filed in December last year over amassing illegal wealth.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after investigation officer Mohammad Jaynal Abedin, also a ACC deputy director, submitted an application in this regard, said Aktarul Islam, public relations officer of the ACC.

The court also ordered freezing of 1,62,681.99 AED (Arab Emirates Dirham) owned by Jissan Mirza.

Additionally, the court directed the ACC to send a copy of the order to the chairman of Dubai Land Department and Group Chief Executive Officer, Emirates NBD Bank for the next course of action.

According to the ACC, the market value of the flats stands at 104,779,864 AED.

She also deposited 1,62,681.99 AED into two Emirates NBD accounts in Dubai.

In the application, ACC official Jaynal said that during the investigation of the case, they found that Jissan Mirza concealed assets of Tk 160,171,336 in her wealth statement to the ACC and acquired wealth of Tk 316,955,149 beyond her known source of income in collaboration with her husband. She bought the flats in Dubai through illegal money, said the ACC in the application.

On May 8, the same court ordered the relevant authorities to take steps to confiscate a flat in Dubai owned by Benazir's daughter Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir in a case filed in December last year over amassing illegal wealth.

The court also ordered the freezing of 144,497.82 AED (Arab Emirates Dirham) owned by Tahseen.

On June 12 last year, the same court ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate 77 bighas of land, eight flats, and shares in two firms owned by Benazir and his family members.

The properties include 75.8 bighas in Bandarban on which a farm was built; 1.2 bighas in Rupganj of Narayanganj; three kathas in Dhaka's Gulshan; two flats in Badda; and six flats in Adabor.