If departmental irregularity is corruption then ACC has to begin at home
The news that several ACC officials including its Additional Deputy Directors, his police escort and a driver on his team were severely beaten by a group of Sylhet Deputy Commissioner’s office employees has come as a big shock to the nation. Report said they went to the DC Office to arrest a person while taking bribe raising the question whether there was anything wrong in conducting the drive.
In another case ACC officials arrested last week the former chairman of RAJUK and two businessmen of a big group of companies with some others against allotment of two residential plots at Purbachal City. RAJUK allotted the plots based on a previous application that they had withdrawn at certain time later on.
We don’t say that there is any shortage of corrupt officials at any government office and the Sylhet DC Office is not in exception either. But over enthusiasm of ACC officials in most cases also suggest that they are misusing power and resorting to excesses to harass weak and innocent people.
Why the DC office employees reacted angrily is something that needs to be verified to make sure if anyone had played foul to create the shock forcing office employees to resist the ACC team. Sometimes ago same kind of anger we had to be faced by some ACC officials over allegation of bribing Tk.20,000 at RAJUK’s office in Dhaka.
Violence against ACC officials is a very bad sign and we must say when the Anti-Corruption drive must get all cooperation from all sections of the society, a call is also growing that the anti-graft agency must carefully review its system of operation to be sure whether their excesses are creating dislike for them in public eye.
Those offences are not so dangerous that the courts cannot handle its own sober way.
Such anti-corruption drive is not only abusing the existing laws, but also denying human decency. People want combating corruption, not terrorizing the people at midnight. One wonders why ACC officials are eager to show excessive power and highhandedness.
ACC officials reportedly accused a woman of corruption demanding to know the source of income of some of her property. She produced her income-tax return where properties are duly shown. But ACC officials did not believe which they cannot. They charged her for owning the properties from illegal income of her husband. But some officials cleared her husband of illegal money.
As far the arrest of former Chairman of RAJUK Iqbal Uddin Chowdhury and others in Dhaka including a business man as published in the press yesterday is concerned the allegations was of departmental irregularities in allotting two plots occurred between 2001 and 2004. In the media report no allegation of bribing is mentioned.
Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that the offence committed is not grave and happened long time ago. So there was no justification to organise a late night raid to arrest them. They would have surrendered if they were told to.
But the fear of not granting bail is a great hindrance to an accused however innocent to surrender before the courts. Besides, for departmental irregularity an allottee of the plot cannot be held responsible. It should be known that corruption cases cannot be founded on mere assumptions.
Allegations of highhandedness on the part of ACC officials are open and heard often and not easily deniable. Some of them are trying to assume an attitude of holier than thou. Such an attitude is quite unnecessary for acting in accordance with the law. There is also no need to demonstrate show of power.
For the Chairman of the Commission we cite instances of haughtiness to be found in the conduct of some of his officials. It is quite clear that some ACC officials have waged a war against RAJUK.
In one instance an anti corruption case was started some twenty years after and the allegation is more compensation was paid for more trees than was available on the land acquired for RAJUK. The allegation was made two years later on the assumption that there was a piece of land where no trees were to be expected. And they took some twenty years to file the FIR. In this connection also ACC officials along with a police party raided the house to arrest a RAJUK official at midnight. Let us assume the case is genuine but was it necessary to arrest him at midnight and keep him wake whole day at a police station.
If the Commission tries to find out it will see that many corruption cases are filed without complying with its own laws and rules. Some Commission officials seem to be excessively conscious of their power to harass weak people and for petty allegations of corruption.
We do not mean to say that small corruptions are to be tolerated. What we want to highlight is the need of fighting big corruption in the government if small corruptions are to be eliminated. None of us should pretend to be an angel when big corruptions go unpunished. We also do not want to see the ACC officials risk their safety on insignificant cases and earn a bad name for the Commission.
