Secretary of Anti-Corruption Commission Faizur Rahman Chowdhury on Wednesday said the commission would take action against its lawyers, if any negligence is found in carrying out the money laundering case against BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and his friend Gias Uddin Al Mamun.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has said it will decide whether or not to challenge Tarique Rahman’s acquittal in a case over illegally siphoning off money only after getting the copy of the court’s full verdict.“We hope to get a copy of the verdict soon. Then we’ll decide about our future course,” ACC Secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury said during the monthly press briefing of the commission on Wednesday.
The ACC had lodged the case with the Dhaka Cantonment Police Station in 2009, accusing the BNP senior Vice Chairman and his friend Giasuddin-Al-Mamun of siphoning off Tk 204.1 million to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
A Dhaka court on Sunday acquitted Tarique but sentenced Mamun to seven years in jail and fined him Tk 400 million.
‘The prosecution could not prove the charges against accused Tarique Rahman beyond reasonable doubt,’ said Motahar Hossain, the special court judge-3.
Replying to a question on Tk one crore bribery allegation against former deputy commissioner of Detective Branch, now on suspension, Mollah Nazrul Islam, , Faizur Rahman Chowdhury said the commission released him from charges since sufficient evidences were not found against him.
“We have filed cases against those officials who were found involvement during the inquiry,” he said.’
The ACC on November 13 filed a case against two police officials on charge of their alleged involvement with extorting Tk 1 crore by dropping the name of former DB DC.
On Padma Bridge corruption conspiracy case, the ACC secretary said the case is now pending at Canadian court and thus it is difficult to manage information from there.
“We are yet to receive any information on the case from Canada but we are trying to collect it,” he said.
He said the commission is yet to receive a copy of the Anti-Corruption Commission (Amended) Bill 2013, and will decide on what to do after receiving a copy of the bill.
“Right now, we are trying to convince the authorities concerned to take necessary measures to reconsider the bill,” he added.
Parliament on November 10 passed the Anti-Corruption Commission (Amended) bill 2013 with a provision to take prior approval from government before filing charge sheets against judges, magistrates and public servants that drew huge criticism from representatives of different organisations.
The ACC secretary said the commission approved filing 88 cases against 189 people in September and October with various corruption charges. Among the 189, 122 were government officials, 21 were businessman, nine were public representatives and 37 others.
During the last two months, he said, judgment of 32 cases investigated by the ACC was pronounced while 14 were convicted and 18 were acquitted of charges. – Staff Reporter
