ACC urges people to boycott corrupt persons

The Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Sunday urged the country people to boycott the persons who are known to be corrupt to common people.

Addressing a view exchange programme at the commission’s head office marking the 17th anniversary of the national anti-graft watchdog, the chairman said it is a difficult task to prove corruption.

‘But there are things like hearsay. We’ll know who is corrupt but it is difficult to prove before the court of law. We can boycott such persons,’ he added.

Underscoring need for the social movement against corruption, he said boycotting the corrupt people would help prevent corruption.

‘I request you all to boycott the persons who are known to be corrupt to common people,’ he said.

Pointing out that it is not possible for the ACC alone to prevent corruption, he said that combined work is needed to prevent corruption.

Replying to a question, the ACC chairman said they will not arrest persons unnecessarily.

‘We will arrest persons only when it is required,’ he added.

Addressing the programme, ACC commissioner Jahurul said because of legal bindings, the commission could not play an effective role in preventing money laundering.

Saying that some people are involved in massive money laundering, he said, ‘Not thousands, millions of crores of taka are being laundered. But what can we do? We have nothing to do.’

The government has taken away the jurisdiction of money laundering from formulating an act, he said adding that the commission is now only tasked to investigate laundering offenses connected to graft and bribery.

‘We cannot go beyond our jurisdiction. We don’t want to take that blame,’ he added.

The government formulated Money Laundering Prevention Rules in 2019. The rules assigned particular organisations to investigate particular crimes under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012.

The rules have specified 27 types of money laundering-related offenses. Of these, the Criminal Investigation Department of Police is given charge to investigate 24 offenses alone or along with the National Board of Revenue, Department of Narcotics Control and Department of Environment.

According to the rules, the ACC is given sole responsibility to investigate laundering related to graft and bribery while NBR and Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission are to probe into laundering on tax and capital markets respectively.

Later, the ACC chairman handed over crests to the winners of the RAC Best Reporting Award. This year, under three categories— Print, Electronic and Online — three reporters got awards for the best reports.

Kawser Soheli of Maasranga Television, Muhammad Sirajul Islam of Daily Jugantor and Nuruzzaman Labu of Bangla Tribune won the awards. Journalist organasation Reporters Against Corruption organised the award programme.

Presided over by RAC president Mohiuddin Ahmed and moderated by its general secretary Ahammad Fouyez, the programme was attended by ACC commissioner Mozammel Haque Khan, former Dhaka University Prof Golam Rahman, ACC secretary M Anwar Hossain Howlader and AFP Dhaka bureau chief M Shafiqul Alam.