The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday (Monday) said a decision would be taken soon on submission of a charge sheet in the Gatco graft case against detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 11 others.

The anti-graft watchdog filed the case on September 2 based on which Khaleda and Koko were arrested the following day. After two months of investigation about three months ago, the investigation officer submitted the report recommending submission of charge sheet against a total of 31 individuals.

The additional 18 persons include former ministers like Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Dr Khandaker Mosharaff Hossain, M Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar.

"Very soon, you'll come to know the old incident newly…You'll know…You'll get a decision," the ACC chairman told a Commission briefing this afternoon while replying to a question about submitting the charge sheet in the case.

He said the Commission is aware about the cases pending with the higher court and the cases would have to be run following the law completely. The Commission will now pay importance on these cases, he added.

"There are many cases pending with the higher courts. We've appealed against many cases. Acknowledging the matter of time, we'll wait for the verdicts. It'll take time," Mashhud said.

In reply to a question, he described the willingness of some 129

employees of Titas Gas to return the ill-gotten money as encouraging and said there should not be any violation of law in doing so.

Replying to a volley of questions about letting corrupt suspects off the hook in return of the ill-gotten money, the ACC chairman categorically said whatever is done there must not be any violation of law, there should not be any undesired effect and there should not be any problem in the future.

To a query about Dr Kamal Hossain's recent stance at the court against a case filed by ACC, he said Dr Kamal is not a member of ACC' s panel of lawyers, "therefore no condition has been breached".

Mashhud said from the 7th of the current month the Commission would begin interviewing the employees who were not earlier absorbed by the Commission and those with good records would be absorbed by it. "This will increase the Commission's manpower," he added.

About corruption prevention activities, he said the Commission would chalk out two anti-corruption programmes this month-one in Pabna on February 9 and another in Sylhet division.

About district- and upazila-level corruption prevention committees, Mashhud said the activities of the committees should not be controversial for any reasons.

About the Commission's ongoing campaign for prevention of corruption, he said it is now people's expectation to take forward the campaign.