SC clears way for ACC to probe into 'corruption' by BFF officials

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld a High Court directive that had asked the authorities to inquire into alleged corruption of the government's funds by the high-ups of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).

The apex court also upheld the 25 June order of its chamber judge who issued a status quo as part of the HC directive which ordered to investigate the allegations of corruption regarding the FIFA money.

A full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order today (9 July) after disposing of a joint leave to appeal petition filed by BFF President Kazi Salahuddin and its senior Vice-President Abdus Salam Murshedy, challenging the High Court's order.

The High Court (HC) on 15 May directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to conduct a probe into the corruption allegations against officials of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and report within four months. The youth and sports secretary, the Bangladesh Bank governor, the ACC chairman, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) chairman, and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman were asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned why their inaction to take proper action against the corruption of BFF officials would not be declared illegal. 

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu issued the order following a writ petition filed seeking its directive on the ACC to probe the corruption allegation.

Earlier on 3 May, Barrister Sumon filed a plea to the ACC Chairman, seeking an investigation into corruption allegations against BFF officials. As the ACC did not respond to the plea, Suman moved the High Court.

Sumon alleged that due to the corruption of BFF President Kazi Salahuddin, Senior Vice President Abdus Salam Murshedy, and former General Secretary Shohag, there is no improvement in Bangladesh football. They must be brought to justice to save the football of the country.

"As corruption is done in the country, so, I pleaded to the ACC to investigate the corruption and bring the corrupt officials to justice," he added.

On 14 April, FIFA, the regulatory body of world football, imposed a two-year ban and financial penalty on BFF General Secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag for falsifying documents to justify payments with FIFA funds. BFF made a committee to probe the allegation against Shohag. 

The HC later emphasised the need for an independent investigation, questioning the ability of BFF to impartially scrutinise its own alleged corrupt practices and said the ACC would probe all types of allegations including money laundering against BFF officials.