THE Anti-Corruption Commission appears to have changed its priority as since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, it has been busy dealing with inquiries against more than a hundred former ministers and members of parliament alleged to have made illegal wealth and been involved in illicit capital flow while the investigation and trial of financial scams that had taken place since 2008 have slacked up or stalled. The commission is also reported to have been busy dealing with cases against a number of businesspeople, professionals and law enforcement officers loyal to the Awami League who have come under the commission鈥檚 watch in the changed political context. Most anti-corruption officials are now dealing with fresh inquiries while the investigations of the financial scams that have already reached a significant stage or have rolled into trial have been stuck. Whilst such a situation is reflective of the proverbial case of 鈥榡ustice delayed, justice denied鈥� for both the people who have wronged and the people who have been wronged against, this also holds back efforts for the repatriation of the money laundered out, which amounts to billions of takas, and gives rise to public trusts waning in the institution of accountability such as the commission.
Experts also believe that the commission鈥檚 failure to complete inquiries and investigations in time could create the scope for corruption suspects to find a way out of the commission鈥檚 net. A recent report of the Centre for Policy Dialogue says that Tk 922.61 billion was embezzled by way of 24 major banking scams in 2008鈥�2023, when the Awami League had governed the country. A Bangladesh Bank audit in 2022, for an example, found that the S Alam group had withdrawn more than Tk 300 billion from Islami Bank Bangladesh, which rolled into an inquiry that is yet to be completed. In December 2022, the commission decided to investigate an alleged irregularity involving Tk 340 billion taken out in loans from Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank and First Security Islami Bank, but the investigation has still been pending. As early as in 2012, the commission began an inquiry against the embezzlement of Tk 37 billion from Sonali Bank by the Hallmark Group. The investigation of the non-funded part of the scam is still pending. Legal proceedings in almost all such major cases are stuck in various stages and almost no progress has been made in the repatriation or recovery of the money embezzled. Official statistics show that 3,348 cases in all have been pending with the court and the inquiry and investigation of 4,008 other allegations and cases have been pending with the commission.
The commission rules allow a maximum of 75 days for an inquiry and 270 days for an investigation whilst a Supreme Court order makes the completion of the trial of a corruption case in 180 days. Most of the pending inquiries and investigations had exceeded all the stipulated deadlines. This also makes the commission default on the law. It should not put old cases on the back burner.