Dhaka – Parliament on Thursday passed the ‘Anti Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill 2016’ empowering the police to investigate some fraud and forgery charges instead of by the Anti Corruption Commission.
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, who is also in charge of the Cabinet Division in Parliament, piloted the Bill in the House, which was passed by voice vote.
With the passage of the Bill, the ACC is losing its authority to deal with charges under sections 408, 462A, 462B, 466, 467 and 469 of the Penal Code 1860.
So, the police instead of the ACC will have authority to investigate some corruption charges, while the Judicial Magistrates can try the allegations.
The corruption charges are related to negligence by bank officers and employees, fraud by any banking company, forgery of court record or public register, and forgery of valuable security, and criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant in case of public property.
Besides, the Bill allows the anti-graft watchdog to probe money-laundering charges related to only bribery and corruption under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012.
In the existing law, the ACC was responsible for probing all sorts of money-laundering charges. Other agencies could join the investigation only if the ACC takes them on board.
On November 22, 2015, the Agriculture Minister placed the Bill in Parliament amending the previous Anti-Corruption Act 2004.
