TIB worried at prospective revision in ACC act

Fearing disempowerment of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has urged the government to consult experts and all other stakeholders before making any amendment to the ACC act.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, the TIB executive director, made the call in a statement yesterday, following news reports that the government has decided to allow police to investigate corruption cases by revising the act.

An amendment in the law last year has put an extra, unnecessary burden of investigation of crimes like forgery, extortion, trade of illegal arms, and money laundering upon the ACC, while the new one may cause a conflict of interests and breed complications if police get the responsibility to investigate corruption, the main area of the ACC, it said.

This will ultimately hamper the functions of the ACC, the statement added.