The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday brushed aside the allegation of influencing the judges of the special courts that are trying the high-profile graft cases filed by the anti-graft watchdog. The Commission also dismissed the allegation of being involved in transfer of the judges.

"I would like to categorically say that the ACC has never been involved or will never be in influencing the judges in discharging their responsibilities," ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing in reply to a volley of questions regarding the allegations of influencing and transferring judges.1

He said the Commission would look into such allegations if those come to light.

On the accusation of its involvement in transfer of judges, Hanif said, "I don't know whether the Commission has done anything about the transfer of judges. I do believe the ACC has done nothing."

About the allegation of collusion between the ACC lawyers and defence lawyers in the special courts, he said if the lawyers of both sides dictate the course of law there would be no justice.

The ACC director general, however, told a questioner that he would convey the allegation to the Commission.

In the briefing, Hanif provided details of the activities of the special courts set up for trying high-profile corruption cases.

The activities of the special courts began on May 6, 2007. Out of the 29 courts, 10 have been set up in the capital while the rest 19 outside Dhaka.

The Commission has so far submitted 170 charge sheets of which verdicts have been pronounced in 75. Among the convicts of the 75 cases, 35 are listed corrupt suspects. There are also 95 co-accused. And there is more than one case against many of the individuals.

Some 95 cases are now under trial. Of them, 76 are with the special courts in Dhaka, 12 with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court while 6 are with the special courts outside Dhaka. One case is awaiting transfer from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court.

Daily Janakantha editor Atiquallah Khan Masud has been sentenced to total 45 years' imprisonment in a number of cases, the highest for a single person.

Among the lawyers appointed by the Commission to deal with the cases in Dhaka Metropolitan area, 10 are in Legal Advisory Council, 5 are senior prosecutors, 15 for dealing with the cases in the Supreme Court and 26 are public prosecutors.

The number of paneled lawyers to deal with the cases as public prosecutors outside Dhaka is 198.

Responding to a question, Hanif told the briefing that the number of cases stayed by the High Court at the moment stands at 16-18.

About involvement of Dr Kamal Hossain with the ACC as a lawyer, he said his (Dr Kamal) name is not on the paper officially.

In response to a question, Hanif said if there are allegations of corruption in the construction sector, the Commission would look into them.

He said nothing wrong was found after the inquiry into the wealth statement of detained former Jamaat MP Abdullah Abu Taher.

Taher, one of the listed corrupt suspects, was issued with a notice by the ACC last year directing him to submit his wealth statement and he complied with the directive.