'Dedication, skills lacking in officers'

Anti Corruption Commi-ssion (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmud said yesterday officers' profound lack of skill and dedication in investigation and prosecution made him disappointed. He expressed the disappointment at an opinion sharing meeting held at the ACC head office, jointly organized by the ACC and German Development Organiza-tion (GIZ). Mentioning the main purpose of all the activities of the Commission is to achieve the confidence of the people, Iqbal Mahmud said that some positive activities had been implemented in 2017 such as armed police units, custodial cell, hotline106, formation of detective unit.

But, he added, that in terms of quizzing the accused, probing the complaints, and also in proper investigation and prosecution - there existed profound lack of skill and dedication among the ACC officers, "which have made us disappointed." He asked the officers "If the officials of the ACC are working on the desired level, how come the accused in the cases of the ACC dare roam freely? Why they are not brought under the law?"

Warning the officials, he said "We have all infrastructures such as the cars, armed police, all are involved in the operation, but the accused are roaming around due to lack of initiative. Who will be responsible for this? Of course the officials will have to take the responsibility. Everyone should remember that the Commission will not show any leniency in the next year."

Pointing to the head of the ACC's intelligence wing, the Chairman said, "A special surveillance team will be formed to carry out intensive intelligence activities inside and outside the government and non-government organizations. Only the chairman will know who will be the member of the Commission as chief executive of the commission while the team will report to the chief executive of this surveillance team of the commission. Strict action will be taken against those corrupt officials whose name will be reported."

He also said the persons who are seriously involved and known to all as corrupts in the government and non-government organizations including the ACC must be brought under the law very soon.Stressing on the coordinated social movement with students and teachers including the ACC, Satta Sangha, civil society, media, he said "The Commission will give maximum importance to the prevention of existing corruption in education, including coaching business, question paper leaks in the year 2018. The reputation of the teachers of the country is being defamed for these notorious activities. We collectively want to bring back the losing status of the teachers."

To the consultants of GIZ, he said, you should identify the weakness of the ACC in the investigation process of the Commission, which would benefit the Commission.The director generals of the six ACC departments presented the details of the activities implemented in accordance with the plan of 2017 and the possible strategies for the year 2018.

ACC Commissioner AFM Aminul Islam, Secretary Shamsul Arefin, Director Generals Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, Moidul Islam, Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Atiqur Rahman, Mostafizur Rahman and GIZ consultant Richards Miles, Jerry Weizorn, Krishna Chand, Mohammad Ali Reza, among others, were present in the meeting.