Tac winds up activities Dec 31 with its job incomplete

The Truth and Accountability Commission (Tac) is going to wind up its activities on December 31 although much of its work remains incomplete.
Meanwhile, 30 graft accused who have applied to the Tac for making voluntary disclosure did not appear while the commission completed hearing of the graft-accused on December 23.
Sources in the Tac said the graft accused did not appear before the commission in the wake of High Court (HC) order that declared the formation and operation of Tac illegal and unconstitutional.
Besides, 24 graft accused who have applied for clemency did not draw application forms while six others did not submit the forms they drew.
“The Tac has brought a relief for those who have faced the commission. Many of them went to perform Hajj after disclosing information about their ill-gotten wealth. They also pledged not to get involved in corruption in future,” said Tac Chairman Justice Habibur Rahman Khan at a press briefing yesterday.
Justice Habibur earlier announced to finish all pending work. On November 16, the Supreme Court stayed the HC order that declared formation and operation of the Tac illegal and unconstitutional on November 13.
“We are perturbed about the matter. We will leave the matter for the law ministry,” said Habibur Rahman Khan in reply to a query about the fate of the remaining work of Tac.
The unfinished work of Tac includes distribution of clemency certificate, the fate of those who applied through the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on corruption and serious crimes but did not appear, the fate of money of the graft accused who confessed to having ill-gotten money but did not deposit it, and where to deposit the ill-gotten money of the graft accused as their accounts are still frozen.
Justice Habibur said the law ministry has formed a committee headed by a deputy secretary to take care of the incomplete work after being informed by the Tac about the matter.
He also said files of those graft accused who have applied but did not appear will be sent back to the offices through which they have applied for. Of the 30 graft accused, 17 applied through the ACC while 13 through the NCC.
When asked about the fate of 13 graft accused as the NCC is also going to wind up its activities on December 31, he said, “Then the matter will be looked after by the law ministry.”
The Tac completed hearing of 490 graft accused, including 68 females, till December 23 from September 1. It also sent nine cases back to the ACC, as confession of the accused did not match with the information forwarded by the anti-graft watchdog.
The Tac has so far fined the graft accused Tk 36,99,26,243. Of the fine money, Tk 25,86,97,333 has already been deposited to the government account. The commission has already distributed 180 clemency certificates while 125 are ready for distribution.
The 490 graft-accused include two politicians, 25 businesspersons, 341 government staff and wives of 54 of them, and 29 from other professions.
The commission launched its operation by issuing a public notice about its objectives, perspectives, and jurisdiction on August 3.