THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1947

THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1947

THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1947

  An Act for the more effective prevention of bribery and corruption.
 
  WHEREAS it is expedient to make more effective provision for the prevention of bribery and corruption;

It is hereby enacted as follows:-

   
   
   
   
     
  Short title and extent   1. (1) This Act may be called the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

(2) It extends to the whole of Bangladesh and applies to all citizens of Bangladesh and persons in the service of 2[ the Republic] wherever they may be.

       
 
   
   
     
  Interpretation   2. For the purposes of this Act, “public servant” means a public servant as defined in section 21 of the Penal Code and includes an employee of any corporation or other body or organisation set by the Government and includes a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Member, Officer or other employee of a local 3[ authority], or a Chairman, Director, Managing Director, Trustee, Member, Officer or other employee of any corporation, or other body or organisation constituted or established under any law.
       
 
   
   
     
  Offences under sections 161 and 165 of the Penal Code to be cognizable offences   3. An offence punishable under section 161, 162, 163, 164, 165 or 165-A of the Penal Code shall be deemed to be a cognizable offence for the purposes of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained therein.
       
 
   
   
     
  Presumption where public servant accepts gratification other than legal remuneration   4. (1) Where in any trial of an offence punishable under section 161 or section 165 of the Penal Code, it is proved that an accused person has accepted or obtained, or has agreed to accept or attempted to obtain, for himself or for any other person, any gratification (other than legal remuneration) or any valuable thing from any person, it shall be presumed unless the contrary is proved that he accepted or obtained, or agreed to accept or attempted to obtain, that gratification or that valuable thing, as the case may be, as a motive or reward such as is mentioned in the said section 161, or, as the case may be, without consideration or for a consideration which he knows to be inadequate.

(2) Where in any trial of an offence punishable under section 165A of the Penal Code it is proved that any gratification (other than legal remuneration) or any valuable thing has been given or offered to be given or attempted to be given by any accused person, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that he gave or offered to give or attempted to give that gratification or that valuable thing, as the case may be, as a motive or reward such as is mentioned in section 161 of the said Code, or, as the case may be, without consideration or for a consideration which he knew to be inadequate.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2), the Court may decline to draw the presumption referred to in either of the said sub-sections if the gratification or thing aforesaid is, in its opinion, so trivial that no inference of corruption may fairly be drawn.

       
 
   
   
     
  Criminal misconduct   5. (1) A public servant is said to commit the offence of criminal misconduct-

(a) if he accepts or obtains or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain from any person for himself or for any other person, any gratification (other than legal remuneration) as a motive or reward such as is mentioned in section 161 of the Penal Code, or

(b) if he accepts or obtains or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain for himself or for any other person any valuable thing without consideration or for a consideration which he knows to be inadequate, from any person whom he knows to have been, or to be, or to be likely to be concerned in any proceeding or business transacted or about to be transacted by him, or having any connection with the official functions of himself or of any public servant to whom he is subordinate, or from any person whom he knows to be interested in or related to the person so concerned, or

(c) if he dishonestly or fraudulently misappropriates or otherwise converts for his own use any property entrusted to him or under his control as a public servant or allows any other person so to do, or

(d) if he, by corrupt or illegal means or by otherwise abusing his position as public servant, obtains or attempts to obtain for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage, or

(e) if he, or any of his dependents, is in possession, for which the public servant cannot reasonably account, of pecuniary resources or of property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Explanation.- In this clause “dependent” in relation to a public servant, means his wife, children and step-children, parents, sisters and minor brothers residing with and wholly dependent on him.

(2) Any public servant who commits or attempts to commit criminal misconduct shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or 4[ with both, and the pecuniary resources or property to which the criminal misconduct relates may also be confiscated to the State].

(3) In any trial of an offence punishable under sub-section (2) the fact that the accused person or any other person on his behalf is in possession, for which the accused person cannot satisfactorily account, of pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to his known sources of income may be proved, and on such proof the Court shall presume, unless the contrary is proved, that the accused person is guilty of criminal misconduct and his conviction therefore shall not be invalid by reason only that it is based solely on such presumption.

(4) The provisions of this section shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other law for the time being in force, and nothing contained herein shall exempt any public servant from any proceeding which might, apart from this section, be instituted against him.

The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, stands as a cornerstone in Pakistan’s legal framework dedicated to combating corruption and promoting ethical conduct in public administration and various sectors. This act was enacted with the primary goal of preventing corruption, prosecuting those involved in corrupt practices, and upholding the principles of transparency and integrity in public and private institutions. It serves as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption within the country.   

 

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