Friday, February 6, 2009

ACC chief rebuffs PM's claims

ACC chief rebuffs PM's claims

The Anticorruption Commission chief has dismissed as "not right" the prime minister's contention that the antigraft drive was used to shackle politicians. "The Anticorruption Commission has conducted its drive on specific information and evidence. The remark that the commission was used to shackle politicians is not right," chairman Hasan Moshhud Chowdhury said on Thursday.

He negated prime minister Sheikh Hasina's remarks at a regular briefing of the commission at its headquarters in Segun Bagicha in the city. Hasina on Wednesday told parliament that the ACC should be "reconstituted" to ensure its accountability.

During her weekly question-answer session, the head of government said the antigraft drive during the caretaker government's two-year tenure became an "anti-politician drive", and the ACC was itself tainted by allegations of corruption.

The prime minister, who herself was detained in jail for 11 months until 2008 on graft charges brought by the ACC, said the commission itself was said to be involved in corrupt practices during the caretaker regime.

"During the caretaker government's tenure we heard many stories. Some people were arrested on corruption charges, but later released in exchange for money," said Hasina. She said people had hailed the ACC's anti-graft drive, "but it came under suspicion when it was aimed at elimination of politicians".

"Their anticorruption drive was called into question when they became involved in forming a new political party, executing the so-called Minus Two, Minus One formulas," Hasina said. But, Hasina also had some positive words for the caretaker government's antigraft drive.
"During the caretaker government, people began to realise that none could escape trial for corrupt practices. They could be tried any time."

The prime minister said she would examine the ACC's recommendations on elimination of corruption and subscribe to those that were "acceptable".

The ACC boss said he had not been considering to resign his position. "I don't see anything to decide suddenly being hot tempered. I hope the matter will be clear in the coming days," he said.

On the premier's comment that the ACC should be "reconstituted" to ensure accountability, he said, "I don't think I have any scope to comment on the prime minister's remarks, as I think that would be indecent. "If there is any necessity of any explanation of her remark, it is she who should give it."

"Now our duty is to create a work-friendly relation with the government and to inform it about the ACC's working procedure." Replying to another query, Hasan Moshhud said he met the prime minister on Jan.. 21 and discussed on ACC's management. "I hope the government would take appropriate steps on the basis of necessity."

He denied the allegation that the ACC's activities during the last caretaker government had raised questions. "The allegation is not right. The cases during the period was filed on the basis of information and proof. It is yet to be proved that the ACC is under question," he said.

Two ACC commissioners have been tasked to investigate allegations against Hasan Moshhud of money laundering at the Trust Bank, while he was chairman of the private bank. Whether the investigation against the ACC chairman by the ACC commissioners will be influenced, he said, "It is not correct that they are [under my influence]. Both of them are working independently."

"They have interrogated me without any resistance on my side and they will do it again if necessary." On why the ACC did not press any charges against any Awami League leader since the party's win in the Dec. 29 general election, the chairman said, "We didn't do it willingly."

An adviser to the former caretaker government, Hasan Moshhud said he was '51 percent satisfied' with his performance over the last two years since his appointment on Feb. 25, 2007.

http://bdnews24..com/details.php?id=75642&cid=2

http://www.amardeshbd.com/dailynews/detail_news_index.php?NewsID=210516&NewsType=bistarito&SectionID=home&JFG=EGXWCHUS


People want full ACC freedom

Citizens from all walks of life including lawyers, businessmen, clerks and litigants welcomed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comment on Wednesday in the Jatiya Sangsad on the reconstitution of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
They, however, said that the government should allow the commission to work independently to check corruption in the country.

Mir Nasir Hossain, former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the recent anti-corruption drive had raised awareness among the people and succeeded in creating a sense of accountability.

‘But hastiness, lack of transparency and improper investigation have marred the anti-corruption drive,’ said Nasir while supporting the recasting of the ACC only to ensure more professionalism, integrity and effectiveness.
The ACC’s image has been tarnished to a large extent because of allegations against many politicians and businessmen that have not been proven,’ said Zafar Osman, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

But asserting that the ACC is a necessary institution, Osman hoped that the elected government would keep in mind that none of the voters like corrupt people, whatever their profession or calling or whether or not they are politicians.

The ACC’s senior counsel, Anisul Huq, said the commission itself needed investigation into the allegations made against it and its reconstitution was necessary to allow it to function independently.

He blamed the military-controlled interim government and the High Court Division for hampering the ACC’s anti-corruption drive in the last two years.
Giving her reaction to the prime minister’s statement, human rights activist Fawzia Karim Firoze said,’ ‘The ACC has become controversial with the change of government, but the government should allow it to function independently.’
She feared that that many innocent people would be victimised if the ACC is not allowed to function independently, as has happened during the interim regime.

Lawyers’ clerk Mohammad Ali demanded reconstitution of the ACC. ‘The commission does not do the work it should do,’ he added.Litigants Sona Gazi and Shafiqul Islam made similar demands but both expressed the need for keeping the ACC away from all kinds of politics.

‘If the commission works as per the direction of the ruling party, how will the people be benefited by the reforms?’ asked Shafiqul Islam, a student of a college in Comilla, in his reaction to the PM’s statementSona Gazi, a farmer of Barguna, said, ‘I did not get justice from the commission after filing a complaint against a police officer who threw my family onto the streets.’

Gazi said that the ACC had not brought many of the actually corrupt people to justice and had only looked into allegations against political bigwigs and activists ‘No one has observed the commission’s activities like the prime minister did. She must have found irregularities in the commission’s work,’ he said.

In his reaction to the prime minister’s speech, the Supreme Court Bar Association’s canteen official, Mohamamd Yousuf, said Sheikh Hasina had not made the observation for personal reasons but on behalf of all the people.
Rokeya Begum, a senior teacher of Holy Cross Girl’s School, told New Age on Thursday that the PM’s move was partially right as some innocent persons along with many corrupt people were snared by the ACC in the last two years.

‘It is a good decision to restructure the ACC, but the government has to give it full freedom to enable it to eradicate corruption from the society,’ she said.Abu Taher, a grocer at New Market, said the common people are frustrated as many of the suspects have been able to disprove ACC’s allegations.

‘But all the citizens want each and every corrupt person to be grilled and punished,’ said Taher, demanding that the government should in no way give people grounds to think that the ruling party’s members are beyond the ACC’s reach.

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/feb/06/front.html

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