The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Eleven corrupt individuals have deposited over Tk 5.69 crore with the exchequer to buy pardon from the Truth and Accountability Commission for committing the crime of corruption in their respective realms.

"Till Tuesday, we've already given preliminary verdict to 11 individuals, including the chief engineer of Sylhet City Corporation, a forest official, a sub-registrar under Land Ministry and a BIWTA official, asking them to deposit over Tk 5.69 crore to the exchequer (Bangladesh Bank).

And the money was deposited," TAC chairman Justice Habibur Rahman told reporters at a regular briefing yesterday afternoon.

He said they had pronounced preliminary verdict, and after getting the money-receiving report from the Bangladesh Bank, "all the charges would be withdrawn against them".

Justice Habib said they also took hearing of 7 more clemency-seekers yesterday.

A total of 199 persons have so far approached the Commission voluntarily for clemency in return for their ill-gotten wealth, he said.

TAC sources said among the applicants, 4 came to the commission directly, 44 were sent by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and 151 by the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on serious crime and corruption-the two agencies set in a countrywide chase against suspects for the two crimes under the current purge in the interim period.

The TAC chairman said they did not get any politicians, and businessmen also did not come as expected to the Commission seeking mercy for illegally amassing assets.

Justice Habibur Rahman said most of the mercy-seekers are government officials. "I think they came here for clemency as they would be shamed in socially if any case was filed against them," he added.

He said during their trial, held in camera, the mercy-seekers "really look to be very repentant for their wrongdoing".

Asked if they bamboozled TAC by giving false wealth information, the chairman said the commission gave them the verdict after matching their given wealth statements with the ACC and NCC investigation reports against those individuals.

"If we find they gave false wealth statement, we would definitely send it to the ACC for further investigation," said justice Habibur.