My comment has been presented wrongly: ACC chairman

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman Iqbal Maumud has alleged that recently media wrongly presented one of his remarks and said that he has not meant ‘corruption’ as something that can be acquitted if done in ‘good faith’.

He also urged media personnel to execute their duties with accountability.

He was talking at a seminar on “The Role of Lawyers and the Judiciary in Curbing Corruption” organized by rights-based organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on July 20.

“I have seen a lot of videos of those comments and in none of those have I said that “if government officials commit corruption in good faith it will not be considered as crime”.

“Even I haven’t used the word ‘Corruption’”, Iqbal Maumud said.

He also said, “We welcome constructive criticism but news should be objective and no one should tarnish the image of the country.”

Earlier on July 18 while responding to a query at the DC’s conference at the Secretariat in the capital, Iqbal Mahmud made his controversial comment regarding ‘mistakes’ by government officials.

He said “It is clear to everyone that doing something in good faith is not a crime. Even if it is something big, it also should not be considered as criminal offence”.

“It is mentioned in the Penal Code that anything done in good faith cannot be termed as crime. It is called general exception,” Iqbal Maumud told to the journalists at the DC’s conference.

Many including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader criticised the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman for his remarks.