HC questions ACC law provision

The High Court today questioned the legality of a provision of the Anti-Corruption Commission law under which the commissioners of the ACC remain accountable to its chairman.

The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks as to why the provision, which is inconsistent with the basic principle of the commission and its law, should not be scrapped, Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu told The Daily Star.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Md Kamal Hossain, a Supreme Court lawyer, challenging the legality of the Section 12 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004.

He submitted the petition, saying as per the section, the commissioners of the ACC are accountable to its chairman, although ACC is an independent institution.

Kamal prayed to the HC to issue a rule upon the authorities concerned of the government and ACC over the legality of the section of the law.

Secretaries to the president, cabinet, law ministry and ACC, its chairman and all commissioners have been made respondents to the rule.