Property of 15 to be confiscated

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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will send a list of 15 graft suspects to the government in a day or two to initiate the process of confiscating their properties as they failed to submit wealth statements to the ACC in time.

The 15 are on the list of 50 graft suspects whom the ACC asked to submit wealth statements in 72 hours that ended on Sunday.

The ACC at a meeting yesterday decided that it would send the names of the 15 people to the Cabinet Division, home ministry and law ministry to take the next steps as per the Emergency Power Rules, 2007.

“It is stated in the law what the next steps will be… Property can be confiscated subject to approval by magistrates,” ACC Commissioner Habibur Rahman told a press briefing later.

He chaired the meeting in the absence of ACC Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, who left for Pakistan yesterday morning on a private visit and is scheduled to return home on March 8.

As per rules, the government will seek permission from magistrates to confiscate movable and immovable properties of a person if he or she fails to submit wealth statements.

Replying to a question, Habibur Rahman said they will send the list of 15 people to the government, and if it authorises, the ACC can also start the process of confiscation, obtaining magistrate’s permission.

The 15 include Tarique Rahman’s business partner Giasuddin Al-Mamun, former PM Khaleda Zia’s political secretary Harris Chowdhury, Awami League (AL) leader Abul Hasnat Abdullah, former AL state minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former AL whip Mostafa Rashidi Suja, former AL MPs Shamim Osman, Akhteruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, Haji Selim, Moqbul Hossain, Mirza Azam and Joynal Hazari, Jubo League Chairman Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Munshiganj AL leader Mohiuddin Ahmed, Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan (Shah Alam) and former National Board of Revenue (NBR) member Jahurul Haque.

The ACC on February 19 published the list of 50 corruption suspects asking them to submit their wealth statements within 72 hours. Those among the 50 not arrested were asked to submit their statements to the ACC office in person.

The 15 who failed to submit statements within the deadline are not arrested.

Six of them filed separate writ petitions with the High Court (HC) for allowing their representatives to submit their wealth statements. They are AL leaders Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Haji Selim, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mostafa Rashidi Suja and Mirza Azam.

Asked whether the government will take steps to attach properties of the six, Habibur Rahman said they will give notes mentioning that writ petitions filed by the six are pending with the HC.

The six filed the writ petitions after expiry of the 72-hour ACC deadline.

Another ACC Commissioner, Abul Hasan Manzur Mannan, told a questioner if the HC ordered the commission to receive wealth statements of the six despite knowing that they filed the writ petitions after expiry of the deadline, it will follow the HC order.

Moreover, the ACC has been compelled by an HC order to accept wealth statement of former AL lawmaker HBM Iqbal from his wife on Monday as he was considered too ill to submit the statement in person. But Iqbal filed the writ petition before expiry of the ACC deadline.

On the other hand, the wealth statement of Sylhet BNP leader Ariful Haq Chowdhury was not accepted from his representative on Sunday because the ACC in Dhaka did not get information that Ariful had surrendered to a Sylhet court the same day.

The ACC accepted his wealth statement on Monday when it was confirmed that Ariful had surrendered to court.

The commission will also write to the law ministry seeking legal explanation about three corrupt suspects staying abroad. It did not receive their wealth statements when their representatives came to submit those. The representatives also sought extension of time by the ACC, which told them that it would decide over the matter later.

ACC Secretary Delwar Hossain said representatives of AL leaders Abul Hasnat Abdullah and Haji Maqbul Hossain, and the Bashundhara Group chairman told them that the three are staying abroad.

About those who submitted their wealth statements, he said, “Submitting the statements is not the end of the story…We’ll see whether their information is consistent with the commission’s information. If not, we’ll have their statements and FIRs (first information reports) will be filed to be followed by investigations.”

Habibur Rahman said they will check the submitted wealth information with those the ACC has already gathered from different sources. If they found inconsistencies between the two, the ACC will give them scope to defend their information.

If they fail to provide satisfactory explanation, the ACC will file FIR against them.

He mentioned that those who failed to submit their wealth statements by the deadline would have no scope to defend them.

Replying to a question, Manjur Mannan said they will try to check the source of precious gifts or inherited wealth if those are mentioned by any in their wealth statements. “We will examine whether the sources of any mentioned gift have the capabilities to make the gift.”

On the commission’s manpower, Habibur said, “We spoke to the chief adviser and the law adviser yesterday (Monday), and they said more people will be provided, if needed.”

Asked if the commission would scrutinise the wealth statements of the new ACC chairman and its secretary, he said, “Of course.”

About any future list, Manjur Mannan mentioned that the ACC chairman had earlier said more lists might come but the first and foremost task is to take effective measures regarding the existing one.

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