Can Departmental officer apply for Compounding of offences? - Central Excise Practice Manual (OLD) - Central Excise

Can Departmental officer apply for Compounding of offences? The officer of Custom or Central Excise officer have been excluded from the definition of applicant defined under Compounding Rules, therefore, they are not eligible for benefit under the provisions relating to compounding of offences contains under the Customs Act, 1962 / Central Excise Act, 1944 / Finance Act, 1994.