The caretaker government will have to pass the responsibility to complete the ongoing anti-graft drive on to the next government as it limps along amid stay and bail orders and rules from higher court.
Adviser for Home Affairs MA Matin yesterday admitted that the military-backed administration has slowed down in its efforts against corruption. It will not be able to reach its target to have the “maximum number of cases” resolved before December.
“Out of 512 cases, only 152 have so far been tried. It's not possible to finish the job in such a short period of time,” said Matin, also chairman of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Serious Crimes and Corruption.
He was speaking to journalists about the anti-graft campaign at a time when the High Court (HC) is ruling in favour of bail and stay prayers and issuing rules against the government and the anti-graft body.
The government however, he added, will not give up. It will continue its purge on corruptionists.
“Rulings of the honourable higher court have slowed down our drive against corruption,” he said, adding that the court decisions have also held back investigation in the graft cases.
Asked if flawed framing of charges are responsible for the current state, he replied, “I don't think so. There are however some loopholes in the laws.”
Replying to a query, the adviser said the responsibility of the NCC is to assist the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to ensure proper probe into corruption. “We have performed our duties.”
He said 158 people were granted bail and 88 cases stayed between July 14 and September 8.
Since then, over a dozen people have been let out on bail.
Matin said at present trials of 228 cases against 108 people are underway.
He said 512 cases have been filed since they took over on January 11 last year. Of those, 152 have been tried and 97 people convicted.
The drive against corruption has seen 78 people arrested and 222 listed as graft suspects, he added.
“We hoped to see the maximum number of graft cases resolved before December. But now it seems we'll not be able to make it,” he said.
The government to be elected should carry through the efforts, he observed, adding that the job would be quite challenging though.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman, BNP leaders Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, MK Anwar, Shamsul Islam and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami are among those freed on bail. Release of many more is in the offing.
In a significant development, the HC Wednesday stayed corruption conviction of seven people including three former state ministers. This was the first stay on verdicts in the cases filed after 1/11.
The HC put off for three months the convictions of state ministers Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin and Aman Ullah Aman, BNP leader Syeda Ashrafi Papiya, former BNP minister Mirza Abbas's wife Afroza Abbas, Nasir's son Mir Helaluddin, and Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim.
They were convicted and sentenced to varying prison terms in cases filed by the government and the ACC.
About the fate of the cases, Matin said the bails and stay orders do not necessarily mean an end to the trial process. “I hope the process will continue.”
The HC yesterday stayed the proceedings of the MiG-29 scam case filed against AL president Sheikh Hasina during the four-party rule.
The NCC chief said they will take steps to challenge the higher court rulings with regard to the graft cases.