Conviction rate in graft cases now 69 pc: ACC

Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Iqbal Mahmood has said the conviction rate in graft cases increased to 69 per cent in 2017, claiming that the commission is trying its best to improve the quality of its probes to bring graft suspects to justice.

"The conviction rate in graft cases increased to 69 per cent up to August 2017. But, the commission isn't happy at all. It wants to see punishment in cent per cent cases," he said.

The ACC chief was addressing a meeting with a delegation of German federal ministry of economic cooperation and development at the ACC head office in the capital on Tuesday night.
He informed the delegation that once the conviction rate in graft cases filed by the ACC was only 20 per cent, but it reached 54 per cent in 2016.

Mahmood said the Commission is trying to bring about a positive change in inquires and investigations, and complete probes within the stipulated timeframe set by its rules.

The commission may file less graft cases, he said, but it will not compromise with the quality of probes.

The ACC chief said the German government is providing assistance to the ACC through its development agency, GIZ, to increase the capacity of the commission.

He said the ACC has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bhutan and it is now negotiating with other international anti-corruption agencies to increase cooperation with those in fighting graft.

Head of the seven-member German delegation Angelika Stauder assured the ACC that the German government will continue its cooperation to the ACC to help Bangladesh fight corruption.

ACC commissioners Nasir Uddin Ahmed and AFM Aminul Islam and its secretary Shamsul Arefin were, among others, present at the meeting.