Toothless to get clawless Anti-graft chief critical of govt move to change ACC law, stresses judicial system overhaul; law minister blames ACC for failure
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Ghulam Rahman terms the anti-graft body a "toothless tiger" and criticises a government move saying efforts are on even to remove claws from its paw. Only three months into appointment as the ACC chief, Rahman at a press briefing yesterday let go of his frustration. He said: "We have been made toothless, and our claws are being removed from our paws in the name of reforming laws." "There are not many corrupt people as well as instances of corruption in the country in the eye of the court. If there were any, many people would have been punished. The corrupt manage to escape punishment due to the existing judicial system which has already made the Anti-Corruption Commission a toothless tiger to some extent," Rahman observed. The government has recently sent a list of proposals seeking the commission's opinion that is aimed at clipping anti-graft watchdog's wings. According to the proposals sent by the cabinet committee formed by the government in March, the graft busters cannot unilaterally file cases against public officials, policymakers, lawmakers and local body representatives without government nod. The ACC boss referring to the proposals said, "Efforts are on to make the commission more powerless by changing its laws in the name of reform." He blames the existing judicial system and the "lax" attitude of court to corruption for backlog of cases saying, "It's almost impossible to check corruption in the country if the judicial system is not reformed." On the other hand, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday said, "Corruption cases have been stayed in the High Court [HC] as those were filed without maintaining provisions of the law. The commission made the mistake while enforcing its laws." The law minister said this to three rights ambassadors from Europe and the ambassadors of the Netherlands and Denmark. The ambassadors called on the minister at his office to know the government's future plans regarding ACC, the Election Commission and human rights. The reform proposals of the government suggest the graft busters should be obliged to take its permission to bring proceedings in certain circumstances and against someone believed to have "committed the offence in good faith". "Corruption will not reduce if the judges don't bend on punishing the corrupt. Corruptionists are encouraged and sheltered through the existing judicial process. And corruption would not reduce," Rahman told the briefing held at the ACC Headquarters. This is the first time the ACC boss made any comprehensive comment regarding the drive against corruption since he was appointed the chief of the commission in April following resignation of former chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury. "The honourable judges of the courts should take corruption cases into cognisance. If the judges delay, the corrupt find an opportunity and corruption spreads in the country. Justice delayed is justice denied," Rahman added. He mentioned that about 1,500 cases filed by now-defunct bureau of anti-corruption are still pending, while another 1,100 filed after the ACC was established in 2004 are yet to be disposed of by the court. "Corruption takes place in the developed countries too. But corruptionists are punished there. But corruptionists in our country are not punished," he said. He added corruption cannot be checked without political commitment. While ACC's proposals for amendment to strengthen its laws continue to be on the back burner, the government in its list of draft proposals includes assigning the ACC secretary with the responsibilities of the commission's principal accountant and specifying in the law that the anti-graft body must be accountable to the president. Currently, ACC only has to submit its annual report to the president. Regarding the cases forwarded by the government for withdrawal on consideration of being politically motivated, the ACC boss ensured proper scrutiny and maintenance of the existing laws. http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=109803 |
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