A Federal Bureau of Investigation probe has found that deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed owns eight luxurious cars and he has involvement in five companies.
The FBI probe has also found that Hasina and Sajeeb laundered $300 million (about Tk 3,600 crore) to the United States and the United Kingdom.
The US intelligence agency also claimed that they uncovered significant irregularities in the financial activities of Sajeeb.
Based on the FBI findings, the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh on December 22, 2024 initiated an inquiry into the allegation against Hasina and Sajeeb of laundering $300 million to the United States and the United Kingdom.
The FBI report was submitted to an assistant attorney general for the criminal division of the US Department of Justice on April 23, 2023. The commission also obtained a copy of the FBI report, said ACC officials concerned.
The FBI found eight luxurious vehicles owned by Sajeeb –– 2018 Mclaren 720S worth $2,50,578, 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT worth $1,09,806, 2015 Mercedes-benz S-class worth $51,008, 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sl-class worth $73,570, 2015 Lexus GX 460 worth $30,182, 2016 Land Rover Range Rover worth $37,586, 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee worth $ 7,491 and 2001 Grand Cherokee worth $ 4,477.
According to the FBI report, the US intelligence agency discovered bank accounts of Sajeeb in Hong Kong and Cayman Island and found suspicious money transfers to Washington DC, New York and London through a local money exchange company.
The FBI has contacted its counterpart in the United Kingdom to look into Sajeeb’s suspicious activates, said the report saying that these findings raised serious concerns about potential illicit activities and necessitated further examination.
The FBI report said that special agent La Prevotte was contacted by US Department of Justice senior trial attorney Linda Samuels who requested the assistance of Washington Field with a case involving $300 millions stolen from Bangladesh and laundered through and into bank accounts in the United States.
Noting that Hasina and Sajeeb laundered money to the United States and Cayman Island, the report stated that Department of Justice asset forfeiture or money laundering section requested the assistance of Washington Field to trace, restrain, seize and forfeit these funds.
‘Our investigation also revealed suspicious activity under the name Wazed Consulting Inc. Mr Wazed has acquired properties worth millions of dollars with cash. Wazed Consultant engaged in numerous business dealing with Bangladesh government and taking consulting for Bangbandhu-1 satellite project.’ it said.
These financial transactions warrant careful scrutiny and investigation to determine their legality and ensure accountability, said the report.
The FBI also said that they contacted the ACC to cooperate in verifying bank account information and swift code validation, and to address any potential illegal activities.
It also said that the probe found Sajeeb’s wife Kristine O Wazed with suspicious bank activities that took place in Massachusetts and Virginia.
The FBI also said that its confidential informant gave two names of Sajeeb associates –– US unit Awami League president Siddiqur Rahman and its senior joint secretary Nizam Chowdhury.
The FBI also found Sajeeb’s involvement in five companies, including Wazed Consulting Inc, Ecom Systems Inc, Mvion Inc, and Intelligent Trade Systems Ltd.
After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, the ACC started probes into allegations of corruption against Hasina, her son Sajeeb and other family members.
An inquiry team of the commission led by its deputy director Md Salauddin started the inquiry and already sent letters to different government agencies seeking necessary information.
A member of the team told New Age on Monday that they sent letters to different offices, including the secretary of the Chief Adviser’s Office, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, passport office and the Election Commission, seeking information.
Noting that they have already got information from different sources at home and abroad over the money laundering, he also said that the passport office and the Election Commission gave them some information, but the rest of the offices werre yet to respond to the letter.
Sajeeb, however, on his verified Facebook page, claimed that the corruption allegations made against him and his family members were completely bogus.
‘We have never been involved in or made money from any government projects,’ he said.
‘Obviously we have bank accounts in these two countries. We have no offshore accounts. None of us has ever seen the amounts of money that are being claimed,’ he added.
Earlier, the commission on December 17 started another inquiry into Tk 80,000 crore corruption allegations against Hasina, Sajeeb, Hasina’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s daughter and British minister Tulip Siddiq.
The alleged corruption involving Tk 80,000 crore occurred in nine projects, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and the Special Ashrayan Project, during the Awami League government between 2009 and 2023, according to the allegations.
