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Only 3 confessed graft on their own

States Tac in its report to govt; portrays widespread corruption in utility departments

Emran Hossain
Only two to three government officials out of the 452 graft-accused sought clemency at the now-defunct Truth and Accountability Commission (Tac) on their own after amassing ill-gotten wealth.
The Tac in its report submitted to the government says those who sought clemency are mostly from the utility service departments where task forces conducted drive against corruption.
The report identifies the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), BIWTA, sub-registrar’s office, forest department,
Titas Gas and BRTA as the most corruption-riddled public service institutions. Most of the clemency seekers are from these institutions.
Graft-accused from BTTB, LGRD and city corporations also faced Tac for makingvoluntarydisclosures.
Though the report claims the graft-accused were repentant, statistics show that most of them were accused in different cases or going to be accused or served with notices to submit wealth statements to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Based on die clemency seekers statements, the report says rampant corrup-
tion at public service institutions has so intensified that even government officials cannot carry out duties smoothly without being involved in graft, even if they are against it.
"The working atmosphere at their (government officials) departments and institutions has become so corrupt that even illegal acts and irregularities are generally considered as normal," reads the report submitted to the government on Monday.
The report observes, "They (the government officials) don’t even think illegally realising money was against ethics." The report was prepared on the five-month experience of the commission as several graft accused, mostly government officials and their wives, confessed to amassing ill-gotten wealth.
The report contains observations, perspectives, background, and main goals behind formation of Tac and some recommendations.
It observes that soon after joining the civil service officials *egin-*r®eiwng pereentfge,' which is IvBll-knbwn the departments concerned as PC. distributed at a fixed rate in different levels.
"Beginning from tender, contractors are used to offer fixed rates of PC to certain officials until the final bill is received on completion of works," the report says.
It adds: "The volume of assets they [government officials] amassed illegally is beyond imagination. Some of the government high-ups along with their wives faced the commission. According to their statements, they became corrupt either the at the very beginning of service life or sometimes later out ofprovocation.
"A former chief engineer said he did not initially realise PC but was later compelled to do so and continued the practice until he resigned."
Over the years many government officials develop their own logic 'legalising' their ill practices.
The report reads, "Realising PC is not held as an illegal act as engineers have to do extra planningand supervision."
"The statements of the clemency seekers make it clear that there is hardly any official who don't take illegal benefits. Some also talked of facing consequences for denying illegal benefits."
The report also describes the amounts of ill-gotten money amassed by clemency seekers. An RDH chief engineer confessed to having ill-gotten wealth worthTk 15 crore. A chief engineer from Sylhet City Corporation and his wife confessed to amassing wealth worth Tk 4.15 crore. An executive engineer from BIWTA amassed Tk 1.17 crore. A sub registrar had Tk 1 crore, an additional chief engineer of RDHTk 1 crore, among others.
The confession statistics show how widespread corruption has been at the public service institutions.
DELAYED INVESTIGATION "A madrasa principal was caught red-handed wlrilc drawing Tk 40,500 by forging a cheque and served one year in jail. Ten years into the incident, probe into the incident has yet to be completed. The teacher has now become empty-handed fighting legal battle," the report says.
The teacher got an opportunity to get him cleared of the charge after police forwarded the case to ACC and when The was formed.
"In a case a neighbour made an allegation against a former senior engineer. The investigator without scrutinising the allegation impartially conducted investigation against the engineer, his wife and son-in-law, and daughter's husband," the report says.
It also suggests ensuring accountability and transpar-
ency at public service institutions and making the high-ups responsible for their part in cases of corruption and also for graft committed by their subordinateofficials.
It says investigation agencies should be more careful as the practice of harassing people for false reason exists in the society.