Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has voiced deep concern over the government’s move to amend the Anti Corruption Commission Act 2013 to empower the police to investigate money-laundering and graft cases alongside the national anti-graft body.
In a statement on Thursday, TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the Anti Corruption Commission Act 2004 was amended in November 2013 giving additional responsibility to the ACC to conduct investigations into and deal with the cases of money-laundering, extortion and illegal arms and others apart from graft cases.
He said people are being deprived of getting justice as additional responsibility has been given to the ACC.
“If the jurisdiction to investigate the money-laundering and graft cases have been given to the police, there’ll be conflicts of interest between the ACC and police and increased complications in the ACC’s task, making the anti-graft body more ineffective,” the TIB chief said.
He said, if the ACC, one of the important institutions that can play a significant role in implementing the National Integrity Strategy
announced by the government, will turn weak, making the government’s commitment to establish good governance and prevent corruption questionable.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman urged the government not to go for amending the Anti Corruption Commission Act 2013 without consultations with the ACC, relevant stakeholders and experts.
