The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has completed its probe into corruption charges against former prime ministers Shiekh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia in awarding contracts to NIKO for gas exploration from three gas fields in the country.

The enquiry report has already been submitted to the commission and it is now being verified thoroughly before filing any case against the two leaders, ACC Director General (admin) Col. Hanif Iqbal told a press briefing here on Thursday. He said the report is now under consideration of the commission and "we have to wait till completion of the process to take the next step."

Asked about press reports that the commission has already decided to sue the two former prime ministers, Col Hanif said, "I don't want to make any comment in advance." Replying to another question, he said the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on prevention of serious crimes and corruption deals with graft cases under the mandate given by the government. The ACC is responsible for filing graft cases, submitting charge sheets and contesting the case in the court of law. "We deal with the cases at our stage. However, the NCC has the mandate to deal with the matters," he said.

Col. Hanif said the commission is taking preparations to file an appeal against the High Court order in the case of barge- mounted power plants against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina at a convenient time.

The DG said the commission would take some more time to verify the enquiry reports closely against 11 corruption suspects, out of 35 in the fourth list, before serving notices on them to submit their wealth statements. He said the ACC has transferred 23 deputy directors and 30 assistant directors to its six divisional and 22 district offices as part of the plan to strengthen the activities of the commission outside Dhaka. The DG said the transferred officers were asked to join their new places by November 30 provided they have no incomplete tasks in their hands. An officer who has incomplete enquiry or investigation in hands may delay the joining with the permission of superior authorities.

Denying the allegation that the transfer was a wholesale one, he said it is a usual process of service. The officers who worked in Dhaka for long and have experience, were transferred outside Dhaka to activate the newly reorganized regional offices.

About the present position of the Gatco case, the DG said the commission has so far recorded the deposition of 80 persons in the case and confiscated about 60 files and made 14 seizure lists. He said the commission is analyzing the information and materials collected so far. "We have to be sure about the charges before implicating a person in a case," he said.