JS body against govt permission for ACC cases
A parliamentary body yesterday decided to recommend that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will not require prior permission from the government to file graft cases against government officials and investigate the charges against them.
The parliamentary standing committee on law ministry however did not decide whether the government's prior sanction will be required for submitting charge sheet after investigation.
"We will discuss it at our next meeting to take a decision in this regard," chief of the House body Suranjit Sengupta said at a press briefing after it met at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
According to the ACC Act, officials of the anti-graft body may start enquiry into allegations of corruption or irregularities against government officials. On satisfactory findings, they may file cases on approval from the ACC and start investigation. When the probe ends, they may submit charge sheet to court to begin trial of the accused officials.
But the government placed a bill in parliament in February this year seeking to introduce new provisions making it mandatory for the ACC to take the government's prior permission to file graft cases against government officials.
Apart from the parliamentary body and the ACC, non-government organisations and individuals working for good governance, and various donor agencies and countries expressed concern over the proposed changes.
The House body at its yesterday's meeting also decided to examine the ACC rules framed by the caretaker government in 2007 since it found some inconsistencies in those.
"We will examine the ACC rules in the light of the ACC Act to see if it is consistent with the Act," Suranjit said. "On examination, we will recommend if new rules should be framed or the existing one amended."
The parliamentary committee has asked the Cabinet Division that placed the bill in parliament seeking changes in the ACC Act 2004, and also the ACC to come up with their proposals, if they have any on the anti-graft body's rules, said Suranjit.
It is working to block any scope of abusing the anti-graft rules and regulations, he added.
Suranjit alleged that during the tenure of Fakhruddin-led caretaker government, senior lawyers were given money and asked not to defend people accused of graft in the army-led crackdown on the corrupt.
"ACC officials did not give that money. Some invisible people gave it," Suranjit quoted ACC officials as saying at the House body meeting.
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