The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury expressed his firm commitment to fight against corruption and keep the commission completely out of the political influence saying it has no other agenda or objective accept making the country free of corruption.

"I can assure you that I have no other agenda. I have no political angle, reason or objective. I tell you again that the ACC would never be involved in politics," he said during his monthly briefing to reporters at his office here on Thursday.

The ACC chairman said the actions against the corrupts would continue even if the government stops its present procedure of making lists of corrupt persons in phases. "The ACC will not be dysfunctional or will not close its offices if the lists of corrupts are not prepared as we have no relation with making such lists. It's good if the lists are prepared. It helps us to work. But, if such lists are not prepared then, Inshallah, we are able to make our own lists," he said.

Justifying the actions by the ACC to file corruption cases against the two former prime ministers, he said, "We have started filing corruption cases as the allegations of corruption against them have been found in the investigation."

"We have to start from a point and then many persons would come under the process gradually. We have the options to file cases on the basis of wealth statements or of the corruption charges against a person," he said. So far the ACC activities have been involved in the wealth statements. Now, the commission will expand its activities in all peripheries, which come under the definition of corruption, he said.

"We started work with 'wealth-statement' as it was easy to make people understand about our goal. Now, we can take actions against all activities, which are defined as corruption, he said. Pointing out the progress of the reconstitution of the district and upazila level social commitees against corruption, Hasan Mashhud said necessary data collection for the commitees has been completed.

The commission is now verifying the complaints so far available through press and different sources. Army officers at divisional headquarters would go to the spot and gather more information about the persons selected for the proposed commitees, he said.Soon after Ramadan, formation of the commitees would be completed and then programmes will be taken to inform the members of the commitees about their duties, the chairman said.

He noted that the activities of these commitees would be completely for motivational and preventative purposes. These commitees will have no legal power to dictate the commission, he said adding that we want to get involve local people as we want to give it a shape of social movement, he said.

With a view to making the ACC functional across the country, Hasan Mashhud said as part of the programme the commission has taken measures to reorganise the district offices and reduce their number.

"The number is not important in modern management Control and management are important," he said adding that the number of offices of the ACC at the district level would be reduced to 23 from the existing 54 as many offices had no function actually during the last three years.

Under the new plan, a divisional officer would look into the affairs of about six district offices instead of about 18 before reorganisation, he said. However, if required, the number of districts would be increased, he added.

Hasan Mashhud said the commission has taken a decision to change its existing rules of scrutiny of the allegations regarding corruption curtailing the authorities of the district offices to scrutinise an allegation.

"I don't know why the provision was created. I think the mater is illogical. Why a person of Nilphamari lives in Dhaka would not be allowed to submit a complain in Dhaka," he commented.

Moreover, the scrutiny commitees under the existing rules might be manipulated during the time of political governments as there has a provision for giving nomination of so-called 'honest person' in the scrutiny commitee, he said.

Hasan Mashud said, "I think it was not done from clear conception. This was done to follow a bureaucratic procedure," he said.

"It's practical to me, where I will get a message of corruption, I must go for action without depending on anybody. So, we are changing the rules. The ministry agrees to change the rules," he added.

Replying to a question on the investigation of corruption and irregularities in appointment of election officials in the Election Commission (EC), the ACC chairman said the EC must probe the case first

"There is no problem if it is acceptable to all. But, if it is not acceptable, then we can go for further investigation," he said laying importance to taking departmental action first against any corruption.

About the allegation of harassment raised by businessmen, the ACC chairman said everybody likes to do anything according his own advantage even going beyond the law. When you go for executing any law perfectly and disallow them to do anything beyond the law, then they take it as harassment

He said the commission would prepare necessary rules to inform people about the fate of their complaints they submited to the commission.

Replying to another question, Hasan Mashhud said he will keep the channel open to meet common man to hear their complaints against corruption. I stopped the public hearing because of time constraint and an increased number of people coming to the commission with complaints.

"I am sorry to my inability to meet them. But I will keep the channel open and after formulating necessary rules I will hear common man as much as possible," he said.