HC gives ACC commissioners more freedom

The High Court yesterday scrapped a provision of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004, which the court said curtailed the independence of the commissioners.

Section 12(2) states that the commissioners will act under the control and supervision of its chairman, and they will be accountable to the chairman.

This section is illegal because it cuts ACC commissioners' independence, Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal said in the verdict, delivered on a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Kamal Hossain.

ACC Chairman M Badiuzzaman's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that following the judgment, the ACC chairman would act as the chief executive of the commission in accordance with Section 12(1).

He, however, said his client would challenge the verdict at the Appellate Division.

Citing the judges, Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu told The Daily Stat that this verdict, however, would not affect the past activities of the chairman.

The petition was filed as a public interest litigation in June.