The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) will remain a toothless tiger if the slow judicial process in disposing of cases filed by the graft watchdog cannot be removed, said its outgoing chairman Ghulam Rahman.
“If only 100 known corrupt people can be sent to jail a year, people will realise the bite of the ACC. Each year the Commission spends over Tk 100 crore on its lawyers, but no corrupt is punished. Isn’t the ACC a toothless tiger?” he questioned while exchanging views with reporters at the ACC conference room.
About the consequence of the all-pervasive corruption, Ghulam Rahman said, “The graft has got merged with our culture…corruption now is a socially accepted matter. It is quite impossible to prevent corruption without changing the existing culture.
He said people have huge expectations from the Anti Corruption Commission, but it can conduct inquiries only into the scheduled offences because of loopholes and limitations in the Anti Corruption Commission Act 2004.
“I think manpower business and the real estate are full of corruption. But, the ACC can’t do anything to check graft in this regard as it is not a scheduled offence of the ACC as per the Anti Corruption Commission Act 2004,” he said.
The ACC chairman said the lawmakers should seriously consider the issue to check graft in these sectors.
He said the government has already undertaken a move to amend the law and prepared a draft bill, which is set to be placed in parliament. “This would be a good act. I’ll be a happy man if the bill is passed during my term.”
About the recent report of the World Bank on Padma Bridge graft, Ghulam Rahman said this is not right that the World Bank’s statement is absolute.
He said it is not right that the Commission’s work would not be acceptable, if the ACC does not work according to the advice of the World Bank.
“They (World Bank) are happy over filing FIR (first information report) on Padma graft. But, they said if the former Communications Minister (Abul Hossain) was included in the FIR, it would be complete one.”
The ACC chairman said as the ACC inquiry officers did not found enough evidence of the minister’s involvement in Padma Bridge graft and it would, therefore, be wrong to add the minister’s name to the FIR as the World Bank’s advice.
Terming the Padma Bridge graft case an inter-country one, he said the ACC included Abul Hossain as a graft suspect in the FIR.
“During the inquiry, nearly 32 people were grilled in connection with the Padma Bridge graft allegation, but nobody confessed to his or her involvement in the corruption conspiracy,” he said.
He said the corruption conspiracy is a scheduled offence of the ACC. “Corruption conspiracy is frequently seen in all sectors, including public procurement and biding process.”
Ghuman Rahman said the World Bank cancelled its funding to the Padma Bridge project on corruption concern and it was not a right decision.
About the Destiny and Hall-Mark seams, He said: “I always wanted to take quick decision regarding Hall-Mark and Destiny graft allegations. But I can not do it due to delay in legal process.”
The ACC chairman said when he took over the charge of the Commission, it was an organisation under attack, but the ACC has now turned into a trusted organisation.
Source: The Independent
