They had defied the ACC's instructions to submit wealth statements in person within the stipulated time.

Representatives of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan (Shah Alam), Awami League (AL) leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former AL lawmaker Mirza Azam submitted the statements.

On February 18, the ACC asked 50 high profile graft suspects including these three to submit wealth statements within 72 hours. The commission categorically instructed those who were not in jail to submit those in person.

Fifteen out of the 50 people did not submit their statements, and some of them sought the HC's directive to allow them to submit those through their representatives.

Till yesterday, seven persons out of the 15 submitted wealth statements as per the HC's order.

Earlier, former AL lawmakers Hazi Selim, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Makbul Hossain and Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu had submitted wealth statements through representatives.

Meanwhile, ACC Commissioner Abul Hasan Manzoor Mannan at a press briefing yesterday said the commission would once again conduct a screening of the now-defunct Bureau of Anti Corruption (Bac) staffs to resolve problems created in it (ACC) due to previous screening.

Since the formation of the ACC in 2004, the then chairman and members absorbed 741 ex-Bac staffs including 85 officers and the rest 263 staffs were screened out.

The screening process created a controversy in the ACC due to widespread allegations that a number of competent and honest officers were screened out while many incompetent ones were absorbed in the commission.

This time all those who were absorbed and who were not would come under the screening process again, said Mannan. "We are fine tuning the commission organogram."

Mannan said they are also working on ways of increasing ACC manpower since it is too difficult to continue the massive drive to combat corruption.

He mentioned that ACC is examining wealth statements of some five of the 50 listed graft suspects to see whether there is any mismatch between their legal source of income and their acquired wealth.

Mannan however declined to give their names.