The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Adviser for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Information Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday said the government is considering seting up of a Truth Commission to bring about a change in the nature of trial of corrupt businessmen for the sake of boosting economic activities.

The government is planning to make plea bargain law and constitute the Truth Commission so that corrupt businessmen can be punished in a lenient manner, he said while briefing journalists at the conference room of the Ministry of Information.

Under the proposed law, the Adviser said, corrupt businessmen would be able to confess their offences before the Truth Commission, pay penalty and return their illegally earned assets and property to the government They will not have to appear before the court or to go to jail, he added.

He said the measure is being taken in the greater interest of the state not in the interest of the government or any individual.

Barrister Mainul Hosein said the government is considering this as the country’s businessmen informed that they were in panic and could not render business services fully.

Businessmen did not oppose their trial for indulging in corruption but they made appeals for altering the nature of their punishment, he said.

He said the practice of reconciliation is seen in many countries after a big change and keeping this in mind the government is thinking of widening the scope of plea bargain and change the nature of punishment for corrupt businessmen.

The Adviser said it is though the rule of law that corrupt people politicians or businessman to justice but it is not wise to weigh all types of corruption and the corrupt persons on the same scale.

He said the greater task of the present caretaker government is to consolidate democracy and restore good governance in the country by holding a general election and the government is ataching the highest priority to ensuring honest and transparent politics.

To achieve this target, he said the government has to keep economic activities active and ensure generation of income for the common people.

“Business and trade activities have to remain vibrant; otherwise the government will be dysfunctional, he said

The Adviser observed that this could reduce government’s costs for running cases against corrupt people and also for feeding the suspects who have been imprisoned.

The objective of the present government is to establish transparency, honesty and constitutional rule. There would be no scope for the businessmen to commit corruption, if the government is honest and the ministers and officials of a government are honest, he said.

The government is giving priority to the establishment of honest and transparent politics. At the same time active business community is essential to boost economy and generate employment opportunities.

About the fate of the persons, who are both politicians and businessmen, the Law Adviser said it has to be found out who is more of a businessman and who is more of a politician.