Harris, family charged with amassing Tk 85cr wealth illegally

The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to former premier Khaleda Zia, his family members and five others in a case filed for amassing wealth worth Tk 85.88 crore illegally.
The other charge-sheeted accused include Harris' wife Josne Ara Chowdhury, son Naim Shafi Chowdhury, daughter Samira Tanjil, brother Selim Chowdhury, sister-in-law Jahanara Chowdhury, nephew Tareq Shams, Harris' friend Mosharraf Hossain Thakur, and private secretary Ziaul Islam, Akhlasur Nahar and Yunus Ali.
ACC Deputy Assistant Director Abul Kashem, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, showing 45 people as prosecution witnesses.
The IO dropped the name of Harris' brother-in-law Masum Ahmed from the charge sheet as the charges brought against him were not proved.
In the charge sheet, the IO said Harris had amassed wealth worth about Tk 858,837,075 illegally.
The other accused abetted Harris in acquiring the ill-gotten wealth.
The IO prayed for issuing arrest warrants against Harris and ten others and also the order to attach their properties, as they have been absconding since the filing of the case.
ACC Deputy Director Jibon Krishna Roy filed the case with Gulshan Police Station on October 7 last year.
Earlier, an anti-graft tribunal on May 21 last year sentenced Harris to three years' imprisonment for not submitting wealth statement to the commission. He was also awarded 59 years' rigorous imprisonment in another graft case.
Harris, also joint secretary general of BNP, has been on the run since the present caretaker government took over last year.