The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The newly constituted Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC) yesterday said that corrupt people can voluntarily file application to the commission about their ill-gotten wealth by September 1.

The quasi-judicial body said in a statement said that any person intending to disclose voluntarily the information about his corruption can file application to the commission.

The statement further said that the persons concerned could also file petitions seeking secrecy of the information they would provide.

According to the TAC statement, any corruption suspect could seek the high-powered body's intervention to evade charges and trial under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

It would also receive cases to be referred by the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC), the National Coordination Committee on serious Crime and the appropriate courts subject to the written applications of the persons concerned willing to disclose their corruptions voluntarily.

"The Truth and Accountability Commission has been constituted by the President for quick disposal of graft related crimes in an alternative mechanism against the backdrop of uncontrolled and massive corruptions in all spheres of the statecraft and society affecting normal economic growth, democracy and rule of law," the statement said.

Officials earlier said the current commission would initially run for five months with the three members and its tenure could be extended under the Right to Voluntary Disclosure Ordinance 2008.

According to the ordinance's provisions, anybody already convicted in a graft case with a sentence of two years or less will get the scope of leniency if he confesses and returns any illegal earnings within a given timeframe.

But the government earlier said those who "crossed some sort of threshold", would not be allowed for appearing before the Commission.

A committee of legal experts earlier submitted a draft proposing the constitution of the commission when its critics, including a number of politicians and legal experts, feared the system could allow the high profile corruption suspects to escape imprisonment.

Under the law, the commission was entrusted with the authority to summon anybody suspected to be or found to be involved in corruption. It will also have the authority to confiscate the ill-gotten wealth.

The commission will not generally sentence anyone making disclosure of their corruption to any prison term. But violation of the commission's directives will constitute an offence punishable with imprisonment for a maximum five years.

Persons disclosing their corruption will be debarred from national or local elections for five years, holding any public office, executive positions in any collective bargaining agents, associations or banks or financial institutions.

The anti-graft body has been constituted as the caretaker government is spearheading a massive anti-graft campaign that has so far witnessed the imprisonment of more than 150 high profile people, mostly politicians, including the two former premiers.

Dozens others former ministers and lawmakers fled the country or went into hiding since the anti-graft crackdown was kicked off last year engaging army-led taskforces.

Earlier on July 30, President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed signed an order constituting the high powered commission to provide corruption suspects with an avenue to avoid imprisonment in exchange of their confessions and surrender of their illegally earned wealth to the state.

Maj. Gen (retd) Manzur Rashid Khan and former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Asif Ali were appointed as members of the three- member commission constituted as part of the massive anti- graft campaign being spearheaded by the caretaker government.