ACC won't spare corrupt big shots either

Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Secretary Abu Md Mustafa Kamal yesterday reiterated that big shots who have been found involved in corruption will be arrested in due time.

"There is no barrier to arresting the corrupt big fish. They will be arrested whenever the investigation officer will feel it necessary," he said. 

Recently, the anti-graft watchdog has become active in arresting people and filing cases.

The ACC secretary was addressing a press briefing at the commission's headquarters in the capital, where he highlighted the last three months' activities.

ACC approved filing of 34 cases against 97 people including government officials, public representatives and businessmen in March this year.

The cases were filed on charges of amassing wealth beyond known sources of income, concealing information about wealth, cheating, bribery and forgery, he said. A total of 42, out of 849 complaints received in March, are being investigated, the secretary said, adding that submission of final reports in 88 cases was also approved during the period.

The trial procedures of 21 cases were completed during the period, in which 10 people were jailed for different terms and 11 people got acquittal.

The anti-graft watchdog inquired into 131 complaints among 2,058 received between January and March this year.

The ACC submitted charge sheets in 45 cases against 172 people last month, the secretary added.

Among these, ACC filed a charge sheet against former senior assistant secretary Alaul Haque (now deputy secretary of the public administration ministry), former deputy secretary of Finance Division Abdul Mannan, former assistant secretary of Finance Division Prashanta Kumar Das and former deputy secretary of the health ministry Abdul Motaleb Mia.

According to the charge sheet, they misappropriated Tk 20 crore by creating fake documents.

ACC also filed a charge sheet against Moslem Uddin Bhuiyan, a bench assistant (now sacked) of Additional Session Judges Court of Dhaka, for creating fake bail certificates and another against senior assistant police commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police Sheikh Joynuddin for failing to submit his wealth statement within stipulated time.

Meanwhile, ACC yesterday arrested Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Bagerhat's Rampal Upazila Swapan Kumar Brahma for alleged financial irregularities in constructing a Shaheed Minar in Hurka Union during 2011-12 fiscal.

The project allocation was 4.91 lakh but the PIO showed Tk 90,000 more in expenditure than the allocation and gobbled up the money, according to the allegations.