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ACC in the doldrums

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Chairman of the three-month old Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Justice Sultan Hossain Khan, who initially vowed to launch a 'jihad' against corruption, yesterday admitted that 'nothing of the commission made any progress.'
Justice Sultan, speaking to journalists at his office, however
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declined to explain why they could not make any progress or what the hurdles are.
He reacted sharply when journalists asked him about specific progress in some areas. "Ask the Cabinet Division," replied the ACC chairman.
Asked if the Cabinet Division itself is a hurdle, he declined to comment. But he repeatedly said: "Nothing is happening in this commission."
Previously the chairman had repeatedly said the ACC's functioning was being hampered due to manpower crisis. Soon after the ACC was formed in November, he had tried to deploy the staff of the now-defunct Bureau ofAnti-Corruption (Bac).
However, one of the ACC commissioners referring to the ACC Act argues that Bac staff cannot be considered as ACC's staff before screening them as per a rule that had not yet been framed. The Cabinet Division and the law ministry expressed the same views.
On the other hand, the attorney general backed the chairman's opinion.
This issue created a serious rift between the ACC and the Cabinet Division as some of the Bac staff are using ACC's designation and issuing officialletters.
"After the launching of the commission some things needed to be done first. But those were not done," Commissioner Prof Maniruzzaman Miah said echoing the chairman.
He added: "The Bac was dissolved when the ACC was formed. At that time, it was the first task to screen all the Bac staff as per rule and recruit them under an organogram (of the commission). But that was not done."
A new controversy recently emerged over the legality of Sultan's appointment as the chairman. Press reports pointed out that as per the constitution, a person who has once served as the chief election commissioner (CEC) will not be eligible to serve any other position of the repub-
lic. Sultan had served as the CEC in 1990.
Members and staff of the ACC now feel embarrassed at this controversy.
When asked about his comment on this issue, Justice Sultan said, "I have no comment. Ask the senior lawyers."
"This is a constitutional issue. I am not a constitution expert. Therefore it's not wise for me to comment on this matter. But I can say if there is a constitutional crisis, the solution is mentioned in the constitution itself," said Maniruzzaman Miah.
A source said the matter has already been discussed at the policymakers' level and they sought opinions of senior lawyers and retired judges to resolve this constitutional crisis.
Meanwhile, the ACC once again restricted the access of journalists to theACC.
Previously a director had asked the public relations officer not to talk to the press without prior permission. This time the ACC chairman himself issued a letter on Saturday saying that without the permission of the chairman no information should be given to the press.
He wrote thatjournalists separately seek interviews of the ACC commissioners very often, wasting their time and making them feel embarrassed.
To resolve this matter, the chairman decided to meet the press once in a week. The chairman himself or the commissioners will talk to the press at 2pm every Sunday.
When reporters asked the chairman why he issued such a letter, he declined to comment.
But Maniruzzaman Miah pointed out, "I will talk to the chairman on this matter. I believe in press freedom and therefore I believe that in the interest of the ACC's transparency, it cannot push the media away."