Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood on Wednesday said the public servants having corruption prove would come under the anti-graft body’s strict surveillance.
“Corrupt government officials would be arrested through trap,” he said this while addressing a press conference at the ACC headquarters at Segunbaghicha in Dhaka.
The press conference was organised to make public the organisation’s report of 2016 and plans for 2017.
Iqbal Mahmood informed the media that 13 traps were set in 2016 to nab corrupts red-handed.
“A total of 13 government officials were caught red-handed last year for committing corruption and taking bribes. The number will rise this year as the ACC plans to bring the government offices under strict surveillance,” he added. The ACC boss further said, special vigilance will be maintained in the corruption-prone offices.
“Stop taking bribes or face dire consequence,” he warned the public servants.
The anti-graft body chief said the commission arrested a total of 388 graft suspects, including 168 public servants, 87 bankers, 13 public representatives, and 120 businessmen and other professionals in 2016.
“A total of 12,568 complaints were submitted with the commission while 1,543 complaints were granted for inquiry and 543 were sent to the authorities concern for taking departmental action in 2016,” he said.
The commission filed 339 cases and submitted 528 charge sheets with the respective courts against the corrupt suspects in the year.
Replying a question, Iqbal Mahmood said, the ACC is conducting investigation of 56 cases filed in connection with Basic Bank loan scam with utmost sincerely. There might be a delay in their investigation as the cases were ‘complicated’ in nature.
Among others, ACC Commissioner Nasiruddin Ahmed and secretary Abu M Mustafa Kamal were present at the press conference.
