ACC becomes tool of political govt

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) initiates no inquiry against the corrupt without a go-ahead from the government despite being an independent agency officially. As the incumbent governments have always been using the watchdog as a party tool, irregularities and corruption are nestled in the agency.

ACC sources said the agency does not even open a probe unless the government wants it, let alone to file a case. If any big incident makes the headlines in the media, the ACC initiatives investigation, but does not progress further. Quite the opposite, some people were even declared free of corruption charges despite having evidence.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, several directors and directors general said the ACC is independent to bust corruption on a small scale, but they can take no steps against people involved in corruption of thousands of crores of taka. Though the agency launches investigations against several people just the show following the go-ahead of the government, but it stops later. As a result, the agency has plunged into an image crisis now.

Officials said the partisan government never allows the ACC to work independently and pro-government people were given the responsibility, so they do not work outside the interest of the government.

A national daily published reports on the huge wealth of former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and his family last March. After that, the ACC at a meeting on 18 April decided to open investigations into the wealth owned by Benazir and his family. Assets were seized after the inquiry, but no lawsuit was filed.

Not only Benazir, but the ACC also opened investigations against the former official of the National Board of Revenue, Matiur Rahman. Previously, the agency initiated several probes against him. As he was closed to the government, Matiur was given indemnity instated filing cases. Matiur allegedly spent huge money to earn indemnity. This time, huge wealth owned by Matiur was said to have been found at various places in the country, but the ACC has yet to file a case.

Officials involved in the ACC’s investigations said the agency initiated the inquiry after receiving a go-ahead from the higher level of the government following the media reports on the huge wealth of Benazir and Matiur. The ACC, however, initiated no probe even after the media reported on the amassing of huge wealth by former army chief general (retired) Aziz Ahmed and former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia.

Meanwhile, the media has for quite some time been reporting on the huge wealth owned by former land minister of the Awami League government Saifuzzmaan Chowdhury and his wife in the UK, USA and UAE, as well as large amounts of money at various banks in several countries. They, however, had no permission from Bangladesh Bank to keep money in foreign countries. Transparency International UK (TIUK) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) sent necessary documents to ACC, the police’s Criminal Investigation Department and the office of the attorney general on 4 March, yet agencies concerned were seen taking no action against the former land minister.

After the student-people movement toppled the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August, the Bangladesh Bank’s Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) directed banks to freeze the accounts of Saifuzzmaan Chowdhury and his family members. The ACC, however, took no steps.

Last July, then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina said during a press conference on her visit to China, “Someone worked at my house as a peon and now he owns Tk 4 billion. He does not move without a helicopter. The real fact is how did he make such a huge money? I took action after learning it.”

Following this statement, the ACC received a complaint on initiating an inquiry into the legal wealth of Sheikh Hasina’s former personal assistant Jahangir Alam. ACC sources said the agency’s intelligence department opened the process of the preliminary investigation, but it did not progress.

The ACC, however, initiated an inquiry into the allegation of taking over banks and plundering money from stock markets against a controversial figure in the financial sector, Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. The agency also started a probe into the allegations of receiving bribes against former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan. The ACC also kept mum after S Alam Group’s takeover of Islami Bank in 2017, but they now announced to open investigation into it.

The ACC officials said the agency’s chairman and two commissioners took all decisions, and no ACC officials can investigate independently and file cases defying them. A director general of ACC told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, “I can give no decision on any investigation into corruption in spite of myself being a director general, let alone the investigation officers.”

Saying that the fault lies at the foundation, this director general said there is a search committee to appoint ACC’s chairman and two commissioners, it has no policy, which is why none other than persons close to the government are appointed and they work as the tool of the government after being appointed.

The ACC has no prosecution department in 20 years since its inspection. Lawyers were appointed on poetical consideration. As a result, the agency was seen taking no stern action against the corrupt. Currently, the ACC has 1,200 officials and employees across the country and about 200 officials and employees have faced punishments on various irregularities and corruption charges over the past 20 years so far.

Experts advise overhauling of ACC to ensure the accountability of the people involved in crimes like corruption and money laundering.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman told Prothom Alo that political governments control ACC during all terms. Even several agencies and individuals controlled the watchdog during the last caretaker government. The ACC must be allowed to function independently instead of controlling in such a manner.

Appointment of top and mid-level officials on political considerations must stop and honest and professional people must be allowed to work independently. Besides, no ACC official faces the wrath of the ruling people due to working against corruption must also be ensured, he added.

This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna