ACC refuses to appear before JS body
Friday, 10 April 2009
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has rejected a summons from the parliamentary standing committee on public undertakings, saying the watchdog has no authority to summon an autonomous body, reports bdnews24.com.
ACC Acting Chairman Habibur Rahman told reporters Thursday: "We have decided not to attend the standing committee meeting. This decision has been intimated to them."
"They believe they have the legal authority to summon the commission. We disagree," said the acting ACC chief.
"The ACC is accountable only to the president for its activities. Besides, the name of the ACC is not included in the list of government organisations (under their purview)."
The government sent separate letters to the ACC, its members and former members earlier in the week to attend an April 12 meeting of the parliamentary watchdog on government institutions.
The letters said the meeting would discuss the problems of the anti-graft body in discharging its duties.
The ACC has been summoned to appear with all procedural documents of the commission since its inception, along with its latest annual and audit reports.
Rahman had said Wednesday the commission would decide whether to appear after examining the legal aspects of whether an autonomous body is bound to turn up at a parliamentary standing committee meeting.
The government appointed Habibur Rahman acting chairman Tuesday after former chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury quit his office on April 2.
Meanwhile, former ACC Secretary Md Delwar Hossain has also refused to appear before the parliamentary watchdog.
"As the Anti-Corruption Commission is an independent institution, it is not proper to summon me as its secretary," Dewal told reporters earlier in the day.
ACC Acting Chairman Habibur Rahman told reporters Thursday: "We have decided not to attend the standing committee meeting. This decision has been intimated to them."
"They believe they have the legal authority to summon the commission. We disagree," said the acting ACC chief.
"The ACC is accountable only to the president for its activities. Besides, the name of the ACC is not included in the list of government organisations (under their purview)."
The government sent separate letters to the ACC, its members and former members earlier in the week to attend an April 12 meeting of the parliamentary watchdog on government institutions.
The letters said the meeting would discuss the problems of the anti-graft body in discharging its duties.
The ACC has been summoned to appear with all procedural documents of the commission since its inception, along with its latest annual and audit reports.
Rahman had said Wednesday the commission would decide whether to appear after examining the legal aspects of whether an autonomous body is bound to turn up at a parliamentary standing committee meeting.
The government appointed Habibur Rahman acting chairman Tuesday after former chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury quit his office on April 2.
Meanwhile, former ACC Secretary Md Delwar Hossain has also refused to appear before the parliamentary watchdog.
"As the Anti-Corruption Commission is an independent institution, it is not proper to summon me as its secretary," Dewal told reporters earlier in the day.