‘Full marks’,says Anti-Corruption Bureau’s annual report card

In 2008,ACB made a total of 172 successful traps. This,records say,is the highest in the last five years. The number of Class I and II government officers arrested on corruption charges was also higher than previous years. In 2008,13 Class I and 24 Class II officers were arrested.

The ACB had decided to go hi-tech in late 2007. By January 2008,the agency started using hidden spy cameras and digital voice recorders.

This had followed an extensive training to the ACB officials on the usage of hidden cameras like button cameras,bag cameras and other spying gadgets. Experts were roped in and several training sessions were organised by the ACB for making its sleuths hi-tech. The ambitious project was the brainchild of the then ACB director,retired IPS officer,A I Saiyad.

The makeover has shown its results in just a year. According to the records,of the total of 186 anti-corruption traps laid by the ACB last year,more than 92 per cent (172) were successful. “Just like the total number of successful traps,the total amount of seized bribe money in 2008—a whopping Rs 19.28 lakh—was also the highest in the last five years,” said Manoj Agrawal,Additional Director,ACB.

Agrawal added that the amount of bribe money seized in a single trap in 2008 (Rs 5 lakh),is also the highest in the last five years. “This,despite our working with a minimum number of personnel last year. Against the sanctioned strength of 84 personnel,the ACB,in 2008,worked with only 60. The commendable performance was possibly because of the maximum use of sophisticated spying gadgets,” he said.

Presenting another positive aspect of the use of electronic devices in their traps,Agrawal said that the conviction rate in such cases is bound to be high. “This is because we have video tapes and voice records,which the court treats as strong evidence during case trial,” Agrawal added.