ACC directed to submit ‘inquiry closed’ reports to courts

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Jehangir Hussain

The High Court Division on Sunday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit to the concerned trial court the records of 408 ‘inquiry closed’ reports exempting the corruption suspects in  last five months during the tenure of former ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood.

A bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hay also directed the ACC to submit to it the records of the reports by February 12.

The bench passed the order while hearing a Suo Motu rule on the issue.

On Sunday, the ACC submitted a report to the bench stating that as the commission found no evidence of corruption in the 408 allegations, closed the inquiries without filing any case against the persons, according to the ACC report.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for  the ACC, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.

On March 16, 2021, the High Court Division had directed the ACC to explain how many persons were exempted from investigation in last five months during the tenure of the former ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood.

The ACC was also directed to submit the list of the exempted persons with their addresses and why they were given impunity.

A bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order Suo Motu following a report published by a national daily on March 14 in 2021 under the heading ‘Investigation trade in ACC’.

Inbal Mahmood joined as the Chairman of the ACC on March 10, 2016 and left it on March 10, 2021.

According to the report, Iqbal Mahmood as ACC chairman  exempted many 'big fish' of  corruption allegations before leaving office and  used some innocent and weak people as shields to hide their impunity, says the daily’s report.

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