Court blocks debit transactions on 6 credit cards of ex-DSCC mayor Taposh, wife

The court order comes after the ACC cited alleged assets and suspicious bank transactions it says are inconsistent with the couple's known sources of income

A court has ordered the suspension of debit transactions on six credit cards held by former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and his wife, Afrin Taposh.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sabbir Fayez passed the order on Monday on two applications filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Bench assistant Riaz Hossain said the applications were filed by ACC Assistant Director Md Ferdous Rahman, the investigating officer in the cases, seeking orders to block debit activity on the cards.

According to the ACC’s application in Taposh’s case, he “abused his power” while serving as a member of parliament and mayor and, through corruption, acquired and kept assets worth Tk 731.97 million that were inconsistent with his known sources of income.

The anti-graft agency said it had filed a case after finding information on “suspicious transactions” involving Tk 5.39 billion and $517,527 in 27 bank accounts in his name, which it said were inconsistent with his declared sources of income. The case is now under investigation.

The ACC told the court that debit transactions on the cards needed to be blocked during the investigation to prevent Taposh from withdrawing money through them.

In Afrin's case, the ACC said she and her husband, “in collusion with each other”, acquired assets worth Tk 64.09 million inconsistent with known sources of income.

It said a case had been filed against them after the agency found information on “suspicious transactions” involving Tk 708.99 million and $395,963 in nine bank accounts linked to them.

The ACC sought the order to block debit transactions on Afrin's credit cards as well, saying the measure was needed to stop her from withdrawing money during the investigation.