Public service law to protect honest civil servants: ACC chairman

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood yesterday said the proposed Public Service Act 2018 would not be meant for protecting dishonest public servants, rather for defending honest ones.

“I believe the government cannot enact any law to protect corrupt elements. I rather see the proposed act as a protection of honest public servants instead of corrupt ones,” he said while replying to a query about the proposed act at Segunbagicha's ACC headquarters.

But, he said, he didn't yet know what was exactly in the law about arrests (of public servants) as he saw contradictory news on it in different newspapers.

The ACC chief, however, sounded a note of warning against unscrupulous elements in public service, saying, “There is no reason for corrupt public servants to be pleased on passage of the law, as there would be no difficulty (for ACC) in arresting them.”

Mahmood also said, “The ACC is an independent body and it is guided by law. The commission would remain independent.”

On August 20, the cabinet gave final approval to the draft of the Public Service Act 2018.

Under the law, a government employee can be arrested before issuance of charge sheet in any criminal case, only after necessary approval of the authorities concerned.