HC questions ACC act provisions
The High Court yesterday questioned the legality of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) rules that empower it to charge people with amassing wealth beyond known sources of income and concealing the information about it.
An HC bench issued rules on the government and the ACC asking to explain within four weeks why sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the ACC act should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The ruling came in response to separate petitions by Abdul Mannan, an Awami League lawmaker from Bogra, and his wife Sahadara Mannan.
The ACC on July 4 filed two cases against the couple under the two sections.
During the immediate past caretaker government, the commission sued many top politicians, government officials and businessmen under those provisions.
Abdul Mannan and his wife recently challenged the two provisions saying the income tax law allows an accused to get acquitted of the charge of dodging tax by paying 10 percent tax on the income. But the commission filed the cases against them without giving them an opportunity to seek remedy under the law.
In response to their petitions, the HC bench of Justice Bazlur Rahman and Justice M Enayetur Rahim asked the government and the commission to explain why the proceedings of the cases against them should not be declared illegal.
Advocate SM Zahurul Islam appeared for the petitioners and advocate Khurshid Alam Khan for the ACC. Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder represented the government.
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