ACC authority to investigate its chief under scrutiny

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Legal authority of the Anti-corruption Commission to investigate allegations against its chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury of laundering Trust Bank money is being scrutinised, reports bdnews24.com.
Former energy adviser of the BNP-led government Mahmudur Rahman sent the allegations to the ACC by registered mail on October 27.
"The authority of a government department to probe the charges brought against its chief and the prima facie of the charges has to be looked into," ACC director general (admin) Colonel Hanif Iqbal said at a regular press briefing Monday.
Col Hanif said they were also "probing whether there was any interest of the individual or of the state in the allegation, or if the complainant was aggrieved with ACC activities."
Asked if they were attaching special importance to this particular case, Col Hanif said the Commission was treating the matter in its usual decorum.
He, however, avoided a question about the reason for the haste in resolving the case.
On October 25 Mahmudur Rahman had made an abortive attempt to file a case with the police who declined to entertain the case on "legal complicacies."
Mr Rahman in his allegation said that "Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury during his tenure as the chairman of Trust Bank Ltd laundered a sum of Tk (22.41 crore) 224.1 million" in the name of losses in foreign exchange transactions of the bank.
The ACC chairman later "unequivocally" denied his involvement in the scam and said he would fight a legal battle.
UNB adds: The ACC approved last month the submission of final reports on 36 cases against 56 individuals as the proof of their involvement in the charges brought against them was not found during investigations.
The accused include former environment minister Tariqul Islam and former MPs Gazi Nazrul Islam and Shamsuzzoha Khan.
Col Hanif Iqbal also told the briefing that seven of the 36 cases were bribe-related, 28 were related to misappropriation of money, rice and CI sheet while one was relating to looting.
Earlier, the anti-graft watchdog submitted the final reports on 121 graft cases involving 250 individuals.
He said that the ACC had already referred 143 names to the Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC) for considering their clemency applications.
"Another 75 applications are under process of which 53 are ready to be sent," he said adding that they would be sent to the TAC after the approval of the ACC.
About the only politician applying to the ACC for referring his case to TAC, the ACC spokesperson said, "He is one of 53. Hopefully, his name will be referred."