 |
|
||
 |
|||
| Improve Your World | Home | About Us | Sitemap | Search | Contact Us | ||
|
|
||||||||
| Also see : Anti-Corruption, M-PAC |
| Below are the News Articles / Stories pertaining to the 'Ant-Corruption Bureau (ACB)', Mumbai. |
| Home >> ACB in the News >> Anti-Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra |   Email this Page |
|
|||
|
They're chasing the small fry; the big fish get away THE CONVICTION rate in the ACB, which deals with state gov- ernment employees and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which handles central government employees, is abysmally low mainly because often there is no complaint lodged against the officials. Such complaints come from members of the general public who interact with lower-level govern- ment functionaries, be it an inspec- tor at a police station, a peon or a clerk. So, the ACB is busy going after the small fish while the seniors get away. Big-ticket bribes, involving lakhs and crores of rupees, are done through the hawala route through what I call an underworld of money disposal. Instead of obvious payment, which would invite arrest, the bribe amount is invested in companies where the controlling stake is with the beneficiary of the bribe. Despite the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002, there has not been a single chargesheet filed. Why is the ACB is unable to track these cases? Because it simply does not have the facilities and often the expertise, to track these cases. Its resources are frittered away in trapping junior-level offenders. In fact, the CBI manual discour ages cases against lower-level staff so that action is concentrated on the big offenders. Interestingly, under the law, an of ficer can be compelled to disclose his or her income but not that of the spouse or other family members. Hence, there was this case recently of a lady officer in a very "sensitive post" whose husband invested a huge amount in a company abroad. Since the husband was not a gov ernment employee, the officer was not obliged to disclose her hus band's investments. Another problem is that the In come Tax department is fanatic about the definition of income, but not about its legality. Secondly, the IT department is obsessive about maintaining the secrecy of as sessees and does not pass on infor mation to investigating agencies. For a more effective way to check corruption in the government serv ice, the ACB and the CBI should be divided into two parts, one to deal with routine cases and the other comprising officers of high integri ty to trap big offenders. Let me also add here that sting operations by the media in this re gard are welcome but they only make the corrupt more alert. (As told to Mini Pant Zachariah) URL : http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=15_04_2007_007_003&typ=0&pub=264 |
| Also see : Anti-Corruption, M-PAC |
