ACC prosecutes Joy, Putul, Bobby and others for ‘embezzlement’ from CRI fundsThe Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has prosecuted eight people, including Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed Putul and Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, over alleged embezzlement of Tk 156.86 million from the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), the research wing of the Awami League. The national anti-graft agency alleges CRI took tax exemption benefits without registration, misappropriated funds, and transferred large amounts through bank accounts, violating the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012. According to the ACC, CRI received a total of Tk 453.95 million from 23 institutions despite lacking official registration, causing financial loss to the government. The ACC analysis shows Tk 708 million should have been in CRI accounts, but only Tk 551.1 million was found in banks, leaving Tk 156.86 million allegedly misappropriated. The ACC says CRI avoided paying Tk 3.65 million in income tax during 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23, taking advantage of the exemption.
