The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The government has sought the opinion of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding the formation of the much-talked-about 'Truth and Accountability Commission'.

The ACC Director General Colonel Hanif Iqbal in his regular press briefing said yesterday that the ACC has received a draft proposal from the government for formation of the Truth and Accountability Commission.

"The ACC will scrutinise the legal aspects of the proposal and put forward its recommendation to the government in the light of the ACC Act-2004," he said without any elaboration.

Meanwhile, the Government Sunday in principle approved establishment of the much-talked-about truth and accountability commission.

A high level meeting held with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, at his office, asked the officials concerned to submit draft ordinance of the proposed commission before the council of advisers within a month.

Home Adviser MA Matin, Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed, Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman

Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury and high officials of the ministries concerned attended the four and half hours long meeting.

According to the proposal, the truth and accountability commission will be formed to enable corruption suspects, especially businesspeople and politicians, to confess crimes to the commission and escape trial depositing the ill-gotten assets with the state exchequer.

The commission will be a three-member institution headed by a former chief justice who retired before the 14th amendment to the Constitution that had increased the retirement age of Supreme Court judges.

Two other members of the commission will be nominated from among the secretaries and retired officials of the armed forces, the proposal mentioned.

Persons earlier working in the police or holding the office of an adviser to the caretaker government or election commissioner will not be eligible to become members of the commission.

No legal steps will be taken against people if they confess crimes and deposit the ill-gotten assets with the state treasury unless they get involved in further crimes, said the proposal.

Such persons, however, will have no right to contest any elections, the proposal added.

The people already convicted by any court on any graft charge will have no scope for making confession before the commission to get relieved of the charge, according to the proposal.

The commission will have the power to summon any person. If the people summoned do not respond to the order, the commission may sentence them to a maximum of three years' imprisonment.

The commission may fine such people or confiscate their assets, but the amount of the fine will not exceed the value of his property. If any people lie to the commission, it will send them to court for trial.