In the midst of widespread discussions surrounding a report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has defended his position, branding the report as "erroneous and misleading."
In a post on his verified Facebook page on Monday (13 January) night, Wazed asserted, "Recently, an FBI report about me was leaked. However, due to their carelessness and folly, the falsehoods within the report have become apparent. The report contains several serious errors."
The FBI investigation revealed that Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed Joy allegedly laundered $300 million (approximately Tk3,600 crore) to the United States and the United Kingdom.
The intelligence agency claimed to have uncovered significant irregularities in Wazed's financial activities.
Following the FBI's findings, the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh commenced an investigation on 22 December 2024 into the allegations of the embezzlement of $300 million by Hasina and Wazed in the US and the UK.
The FBI report detailed Sajeeb Wazed Joy's ownership of eight luxury cars and his connections to five companies.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, however, countered these claims, stating that the cars were old and most had been sold long ago.
The report was submitted to the Assistant Attorney General of the US Department of Justice's Criminal Division on 23 April 2023.
Officials confirmed that a copy of the FBI report had been received by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The FBI report also identified two of Wazed’s associates—Siddiqur Rahman, president of the United States Metropolitan Awami League, and Nizam Chowdhury, senior joint secretary—as confidential informants. According to the report, the US intelligence agency traced Wazed's bank accounts to Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.
Suspicious money transfers were noted in Washington, DC, New York, and London through a local money exchange company.
Furthermore, the report indicated that Special Agent La Prevotte had communicated with Senior Trial Attorney Linda Samuels from the US Department of Justice, seeking assistance in a case concerning the theft of $300 million from Bangladesh and its laundering into US bank accounts.
In his Facebook post, Wazed challenged the report, pointing out that the FBI agent mentioned had retired years ago, and the attorney had passed away in 2013, sharing a link to the news of her death.
The FBI report suggested that Sheikh Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed were involved in embezzling funds to the US and the Cayman Islands, with the Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture or Money Laundering Section seeking to locate, restrain, and seize these funds with the help of the Washington Field Office.
The investigation also uncovered suspicious activities related to Wazed Consulting Incorporated, which had various business dealings with the Bangladesh government, including involvement in the Bangabandhu-1 satellite project.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy refuted these claims, insisting he had no offshore bank accounts and challenging the accusers to prove their allegations.
Although the investigation mentioned suspicious banking activities involving Sajeeb Wazed Joy and his former wife Christine in Massachusetts and Virginia, Wazed clarified in his Facebook post, "Christine and I are no longer married. We separated nearly three years ago, and our divorce has been finalised."
