Provide graft info with evidence
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday called upon honest and sincere government officials and people of the country to provide information on corruption along with evidence.
The anti-graft body requested all to post the information backed by evidence to its headquarters in Segunbagicha or deliver it by hand in sealed envelopes addressed to the ACC chairman, said a press release.
The ACC termed corruption as the major hindrance in the economic development, employment generation and poverty alleviation of the country.
Against this backdrop, it is a moral obligation for people with a sense of patriotism to provide information and evidence regarding corruption so that ACC can take legal measures, it said.
Earlier on June 7, the Public Interest Related Information Disclosure (Protection) Act, 2011, which is a bill to protect whistleblowers, was passed in the parliament. It empowers a person to disclose information on ministries, divisions, departments or any government or non-government organisations to authorities concerned.
As per the law, authorities concerned may reward or honour a whistleblower if the information divulged is proved right in the court. No criminal or civil or departmental proceedings can be initiated against the whistleblower for disclosing information in public interest and his or her identity will not be revealed without his or her prior consent.
If the whistleblower is a government official, he or she cannot be punished, demoted, forced to retire, or harassed in any way which may cause him or her significant stress or damage his or her social dignity, the law says.
According to the law, he or she cannot be called upon as a witness or produced before the court in connection with the criminal and civil cases to be filed following the information disclosed.
ACC Chairman Ghulam Rahman felt the necessity of a large scale campaign concerning the act and said they have issued the press release to encourage people to step up and provide information backed by evidence about corruption.
“People don't know about the act. They don't know that their identities will be kept secret and will be rewarded if the information is proved right in the court,” he told The Daily Star.
“We are considering arranging discussions, seminars and dialogues with different stakeholders to help people understand more about the act,” said the chairman.
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