The Commission will call for records of departmental cases filed against government officials on graft charges to see if adequate actions had been taken against them.

The anti-graft watchdog observed that many government officials got away with minor punishment for big corruption, according to Commission sources.

"In many cases, respective departments withhold two increments or stop promotion or suspend (officials) for a few months although the officials indulge in huge corruption for which they should face criminals charges," an ACC official told The Daily Star yesterday, seeking anonymity.

The minor punishment that their departments slap on them allows them to ultimately avert criminal charges, he added.

The Commission has decided to send letters to all the ministries, departments, directorates, offices and autonomous organisations for sending records and documents of departmental cases filed against their officers and employees.

"We'll ask the government for these," Commission's Chairman Justice Sultan Hossain Khan said yesterday, acknowledging their move.

"We are discussing whether we can file cases under the ACC Act against government officials already received departmental punishments," he said.

"As there is a provision that one cannot be punished twice for the same crime, we will seek legal explanation on whether we can file cases under ACC Act against those given insufficient punishment by their departments for big corruption."

Sources said many trade union leaders and officials and employees with political backing in different government departments escape punishments using their political identity despite doing huge corruption. "Steps taken against them in the name of punishment often amount to mere eyewash," said an ACC source.

Once the ACC investigates the departmental actions, it will be able to pinpoint the cases where insufficient punishments have been awarded for big corruption and identify the people involved in the whole process.

"Apart from seeking records of departmental punitive actions already taken, we will seek information about whether departmental cases will be filed against any official or employee in the future," said the chairman.

Asked which point of time will they summon the files from, Justice Sultan said: "It is obvious that we will not be able to look into all cases. We'll decide later from which time we will seek the records."

"Our efforts also aim to make the government aware of corruption taking place in its different tiers and steps taken for those."

ACC MEETING
The Commission at a meeting yesterday decided to seek legal interpretation from the attorney general on sending its guidelines on screening of former staff of the Bureau of Anti-Corruption to the government for presidential approval.

"We want to keep the guidelines a secret. But there is an apprehension that the secrecy would no more be there once we send them to the government. So we have decided to seek legal interpretation about whether we need to send it to the government," Justice Sultan said.

He said the government may appoint a secretary to the Commission on deputation in a couple of days. A source said the ACC sent a proposal to the government on April 23 for appointing an additional secretary as the ACC Secretary. The additional secretary is currently working as the project director of a housing project with the Prime Minister's Office.