Mashhud will have to account for Tk 13 crore expenditure on ACC lawyers
The Anticorruption Commission chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury stepped down Thursday, saying there was no need to spell out the reason for his resignation.
“I think you all know the situation now prevailing; there’s no need for me explain it,” the former army chief briefed reporters, before leaving the ACC headquarters in the city at around 4pm.
“There is a need for a new leadership now to bring swiftness to the work of the ACC,” said Chowdhury.
“I would like to talk with about two topics today. First, I’ve resigned by the will of Allah.
“And the second, I express my gratitude and thank the journalists for extending me cooperation in discharging my duties over the last two years,” Chowdhury said.
He said he worked to prevent corruption and the work required cooperation from all.
The corruption issue was yet to be solved. There are lot of opportunities to work, Chowdhury said.
“I think there’s need for a new leadership to bring swiftness to the work of [the ACC].”
He said he believed that his successors will press on with the anti-graft drives.
The time to evaluate the two-year activities of the ACC under his leadership was yet to come, as prevention of corruption had been a tough one, Chowdhury said.
Without taking any questions from the press, he got in his car and left for his residence, ending his last workday since he took over on Feb. 25, 2007.
Senior government officials had earlier told bdnews24.com the ACC chief sent his resignation letter to the Bangabhaban around noon.
Chowdhury met with his officials at the headquarters after 3pm and bid them bye.
He was appointed on Feb 22 by the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led army-installed caretaker government after resigning as an adviser to the caretaker government led by president Iajuddin Ahmed.
Chowdhury led the antigraft body in its drive against top political figures during the immediate past caretaker regime.
MPs from the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP have since demanded his resignation.
In the opening session of the ninth parliament, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Feb. 4 told parliament that the ACC should be “reconstituted” to ensure its own accountability, giving rise to widespread buzz that it might be a resignation call for the ACC chief.
The PM had said that the anti-graft drive during the caretaker government’s two-year tenure became an “anti-politician drive”, and that the ACC was itself tainted by allegations of corruption.
The next day, Chowdhury rebuffed the prime minister’s allegations against the anti-graft body, saying she was “not right”.
“The Anticorruption Commission has conducted its drive on specific information and evidence. The remark that the commission was used to shackle politicians is not right,” Chowdhury had said.
He met the prime minister on Jan. 21 and discussed ACC’s management.
“I hope the government would take appropriate steps on the basis of necessity.”
Staff Correspondent
Law State Minister Advocate Kamrul Islam said ACC Chairman Hasan Mashud Chowdhury’s resignation will pave the way for launching anti-corruption drive effectively against real corrupt.
At a press briefing at his ministry Thursday, he said that the ACC Chairman was used during two years of the caretaker government to file false cases against the politicians in a bid to harass them.
He said as a politician he is very much happy with the news of ACC Chairman’s resignation as the commission could not concentrate on curbing real criminals for its attention towards politicians.
However he said the government did not create any pressurise on ACC Chairman to compel him to resign, rather ACC Chairman has resigned responding to his conscience and sense of guilt.
He said his government believes in independent functioning of ACC and in any way it will not interfere in the work of the commission which will be led by another competent person replacing Hasan Mashud.
About false cases against politicians he said all cases against most of the politicians specially Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were false and afterwards the plaintiffs either refused to have filed any cases against her.
Asked whether the corruption cases against politicians will be withdrawn he said that the law ministry has not taken any finals decision about withdrawing the cases which were filed during caretaker government’s regime as yet.
In a another query Law State Minister said subject to falsity of corruption pending cases against the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of opposition Begum Khaleda Zia will be dismissed in future.
During rule of four party alliance led by BNP many false cases were filed against Awami League leaders and example of Saber Hossain Chowdhury is enough as he was sued for stealing eating plate from a ferry and in connection with bombing at a cinema hall in Mymensingh, he said.
He said the outgoing ACC Chairman will have to account for Tk 13 crore which was expended by way of making payment to ACC prosecutors and other lawyers in prosecuting politicians in false cases.
Kamrul Islam said “Apart from this Tk 13 crore more money was expended for other purposes and such expenditure was wastage of public money. As the accused persons are out of jail and leading a free life then what is the justification of expending huge money. We require ACC Chairman to account for this money.”
About judicial officers’ meeting with Law Minister he said their demand for posting them in the law ministry as per seniority is logical as law provides that 75 % posts to be filled by judicial officers.
“They discussed with law minister and me several times and today they requested us to arranging their appointment with the Prime Minister as the judicial officers would like to talk to her on the issue of their demands.”
A source in the Law Ministry said that the judicial officers have other demands for not giving executive magistrates judicial powers in the interest of meaningful implementation of separation of the judiciary in line with the directives of the Supreme Court in Majder Hossain case known as separation of judiciary case.
Courtesy of The Bangladesh Today
