Take action against ACC officials for harassment: SC

The Supreme Court today ordered the Anti Corruption Commission chairman to take legal action against its officials, if they harass people by frequently issuing notice seeking their wealth statements.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order during the hearing of an appeal filed by Ashraful Haque, a garments trader from Banani area in Dhaka, against a High Court verdict.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that he has informed the apex court order to the ACC authorities instantly.

He said the Appellate Division asked the ACC chairman to take action against its official Anwarul Haque for seeking wealth statement from Ashraful Haque by sending him notice again and again, but the the SC order will be applicable for all the ACC officials, if they harass people by doing so.

M Abul Kashem Selim, a lawyer of Ashraful, told reporters that Anwarul Haque, an investigation officer of the ACC, had sent a letter to Ashraful on 19 October in 2010, asking for his property's account.

Ashraful submitted his wealth statement to the ACC after getting the letter. The same official again sent another letter to the garments trader asking the same information on 4 April in 2011. Ashraful submitted his information for the second time. But the ACC official sent the third letter for the same reason on August 7, 2011.

In 2012 Ashraful filed a writ petition with the HC challenging the third letter of the ACC official. The HC rejected the petition in 2013.

In 2014, Ashraful filed a leave to appeal petition with the SC challenging the HC verdict.

The apex court today disposed of the leave to appeal petition, the lawyer added.