The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (Sunday) wanted to know from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) why deputy inspector-general (DIG) Mizanur Rahman has still not been arrested in a corruption case. “Is he (DIG Mizan) more powerful than the ACC? Why has not DIG Mizanur Rahman been arrested in the corruption case?” asked the four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, while hearing an appeal filed by the ACC challenging a High Court (HC) verdict that granted permanent bail to Hall-Mark Group Chairman Jasmine Islam in a graft case. The apex court also asked the ACC lawyer Kurshid Alam Khan about the bribery allegations that have been raised against ACC director Enamul Basir, which had alarmed the whole country. The ACC lawyer replied that the ACC has appointed a new officer to conduct an investigation against DIG Mizanur Rahman. Punitive action would be taken against those responsible after the investigation into the issue is completed, he added.

The apex court then asked him about the kind of punitive action

that was being taken as nothing is being done about bribery and leaking of information.

The lawyer then said: “We need to investigate before taking any action against bribe transactions, only after which I can file an FIR (first information report).”

“We cannot go beyond rules and the law,” the ACC lawyer said, adding that the ACC is lawfully looking into the matter with great importance.

Recently, DIG Mizan claimed in a television interview that ACC director Enamul Basir took Tk. 40 lakh in bribes from him, promising him that he would be given a clean chit.

Mizan also said Basir divulged information during the investigation. Audio clips of mobile conversations between DIG Mizan and Enamul Basir were aired on television.

Mizan later said he bribed the ACC investigator in an effort to “entrap” the official after being “pressured” into making the illicit payments.

Following the allegations, the ACC suspended Basir and instituted an inquiry committee headed by ACC secretary Muhammad Delwar Bakht to investigate these.

Mizanur came under the spotlight in January last year when allegations surfaced that he had forcibly married a 25-year-old woman in July 2017 and tortured her. He had also allegedly abducted

a female news presenter of a private TV channel at gunpoint in December the same year. Mizanur was withdrawn as the additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) following the allegations.

On April 25 last year, the ACC had summoned Mizanur Rahman as multiple media reports and other sources reported that he had illegally amassed wealth.