The High Court on Tuesday wanted to know how many people have been granted immunity from the investigation of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in five months before the retirement of the immediate past chairman of the anti-graft body, Iqbal Mahmood.
If immunity was granted to some people at that time, then the ACC has been asked to submit a list in the court by April 11 this year stating their names, addresses and as to why the people were given immunity.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order as a Suo Moto (voluntary) move considering a report run by the Daily Inqilab on March 14 this year under the headline "Investigation trade in ACC".
The reporter of the published news has been asked to submit all the relevant documents in this regard to the court.
Iqbal Mahmood joined as the chairman of the ACC on March 10 in 2016. He left the organisation on March 10 this year after about five years.
Deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin Manik brought the report to the attention of the High Court for necessary order over the issue.
According to the Inqilab report, the immediate past chairman of the ACC, Iqbal Mahmood, has exonerated many 'big fishes' from corruption charges before leaving the office on March 10. He used some innocent and weak people as a shield to hide their impunity, also read the report.
Quoting the dependable sources the report also said in the last five months he has acquitted more than 200 individuals and organisations from corruption charges.
"Iqbal Mahmood had destroyed as much of the documentary evidences of his deeds as possible before leaving the office. Even after that some of the documents were obtained by this reporter. According to those documents, he has acquitted more than 200 individuals and organisations from corruption charges from October 1 to December 24 in 2020," read the report.
Meanwhile, the High Court also wanted to know the stand of the ACC over the allegations of irregularities and the embezzlement of Tk 260 million in the state-owned Sadharan Bima Corporation.
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