Dhaka, Dec 8 – The Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Iqbal Mahmood yesterday warned that no corrupt people would escape from the net of the commission (ACC).“A total of 187 people are now ACC scanner. We are investigating against them about their alleged involvement in corruption over amassing wealth illegally beyond non-sources of income. No corrupts people can escape from the net of ACC as the commission is serious to bring the corrupts people under justice,” the ACC chairman came up with the observations while responding reporters queries at meet the press programme organized by Reporters Against Corruption (RAC) at the head office of the commission.
The ACC chief also urged the all strata of people to come forward to assist the commission as the corruption would not eradicate from the society without the help of all people.
“It is impossible to eradicate corruption from the country without the help of all people,” he noted.
In response to a query, the ACC chief said that the commission is 100 per cent successful regarding the filing and disposal of the money laundering related cases as the commission had filed 34 cases regarding the money laundering issues and the court delivered verdict in favour of commission in all 34 cases.
According to the legal wing information, the lower courts did not conduct the trial proceeding of 302 cases following the stay order of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division. A total of 511 cases are in now pending before the High Court for disposal. Among these, in 2018, the Supreme Court disposed of 112 cases and the commission won the legal battle in 60 cases while it loses in 52 cases.
However, the ACC boss said that the commission could not file the cases under money laundering act due to the amendment of the concerned law in 2015. Now, the power of filing money laundering related cases transferred to the National Revenue Board, Bangladesh Bank and CID. The power of filing money laundering related cases should be handed over to the commission for the greater interest of bringing the culprits under book.
“We are observing that the trade base money laundering is taking place frequently at this time. If any authority will not file money laundering cases over trade base laundering, we will look after the matter,” he warned.
He also said, “If somebody fails to act, we will not fail to do act. We will hunt them as we are very serious about the matter.”
The ACC chief also informed that if anyone will bring once under the commission scanner, there is no way for them except legal process to get a release from the commission net due to its system.
In response to another query that Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh, MP, asked the ACC chairman to tender his resignation for his failure to include the name of Abdul Hye Bacchu in the First Information Report of cases filed over Basic Bank scam.
“Who are you? The Commission does not bother about your prayer to include the name of someone in the cases. Everyone seeks my resignation. But, we don’t care about it. After completion of the investigation the commission will include the name of someone or remove someone names on the basis of evidence of documents,” Mahmood said.
However, the commission chief did not give any specific timeframe over the submission of charge sheets over the 56 cases filed over Basic Bank scam.
He said that the commission sent a letter to some abroad countries including Malaysia and Australia over the matter and after getting a response from the countries the commission will submit charge sheets in the cases.
In response to another query, Mahmood said that apart front the telephonic allegations the commission has received a total of 22236 allegations by November this year through email, facebook and letter. Among these, more than 3000 are now under investigation.
In response to another query, the commission chief said that it would not interfere with the increasing of onion price. But, the commission is observing the import cost and market price. If the custom intelligence authority will give any information over the matter, we must take action against the offenders, if anyone found.
Responding to another query, the ACC chairman said that the commission is working to bring the commission under digitalization. The commission is now keeping the complaint in commission website and gradually all activities will bring under the digital system.
In response to another query, the commission chief said that he did not want to keep the commission as he believes that the country’s people would not commit corruption and the necessity of the commission would expire.
Regarding his success in his long three and half years tenure, the ACC boss said that it is his great success that the commission could give a message to the corrupt people that nobody is untouchable from the commission who commit corruption.
Finally, he said that the government issued a gazette notification declaring December 8 as International Anti-Corruption Day. All people should come forward to eradicate the corruption from the country. The commission is going to observe the day in order eliminating the corruption from the country. – Staff Reporter
