NAB continues probe into 300 high-profile corruption cases

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has adopted an even-handed strategy for accountability that’s not restricted to politicians but senior bureaucrats, private companies, and private housing societies have also come under its radar.
With the takeover of Qamar Zaman Chaudhry as chairman, the bureau has formulated a strategy under which it would move against politicians and senior bureaucrats, who outnumber politicians in corruption.
Sources in the NAB said a list of 300 high-profile cases includes former president, two former prime ministers, former chief ministers, three former chairmen of Federal Bureau of Revenue, retired generals and federal secretaries.
Investigations against Dr. Asim Hussain are moving in the right direction and in this regard the NAB has expanded investigation to more people in Sindh.
Under the even-handed strategy, around 300 high-profile cases of politicians, senior bureaucrats and businessmen are being investigated.
The sources denied the impression that the bureau was only targeting particular politicians and said investigations were on against the PPP, PML-N, ANP and PML-Q leaders.
Thirteen cases of illegal use of power are being against former prime ministers Yusuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf.
A list of 150 high-profile corruption cases has also been submitted to the Supreme Court which includes the names of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain but they rejected the stance of the NAB through clarifications.
A senior NAB official told The News/Jang that the bureau was not discriminating between influential and non-influential people and whenever investigation got completed against any person a reference was approved by the executive board.
“The progress made during the past few months is matchless and unprecedented and many senior bureaucrats are now under our radar,” said a NAB official.
The bureau recently launched investigations against the Punjab Minister Rana Mashood and PPP’s former Sindh minister Ali Nawaz Shah, who was sentenced to five-year jail by an accountability court.
An inquiry was also launched against the PML-N lawmaker Iftikhar-ul-Hassan, PML-Q senior leader Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din and former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani for illegal use of powers and amassing assets beyond means.
Investigations are also on against seven members of the National Assembly. The bureau has also decided to complete investigations in 24 cases which were sent to it by the Public Accounts Committee.
These cases include mega scams like Tawana Pakistan, NLC, purchase of locomotives, Royal Palm Gold Club and sale of railways land.
The bureau has also recorded the statement of three retired generals in Rs1.83 billion NLC scam.
According to documents, investigation has also been started into occupation of 4,231 acres of railways land and railways scrap.
Rs3 billion Tawana Pakistan scandal reference was also sent to an accountability court in which a federal secretary and other officials were involved.
The bureau is also investigating New Benazir Bhutto International Airport project whose total cost has increased to Rs120 billion from Rs40 billion.
The bureau is also investigating Nandipur project, LNG import and Rawalpindi Islamabad Metro Bus project.
To decide the fate of 300 high-profile cases, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry has constituted a special committee that has held a series of meetings to review cases pending against politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen.
Sources said under the recommendations of the Special Committee, regions had till now taken action in more than 200 cases. A number of cases filed without solid incriminatory evidence have been closed after review and through scrutiny.
On the other hand, data shows that the NAB has geared up its efforts to curb corruption during the last two years and filed 45 references, including Ogra, RPPs, Pakistan Steel Mills, Modarba and KP police weapon purchase, with the accountability courts.
Under its awareness & prevention role, the bureau scrutinized a number of cases worth more than Rs700 million.
The NAB under its prevention regime has so far established 14,000 (approximately) character building societies (CBSs) across the country in different universities, colleges and schools under Section 33-C of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
The bureau has filed three RPP references whereas three more are in the final stages of preparation.
Out of these references, 19 are high-profile which include nine references of Rs26 billion corruption in Pakistan Steel Mills which include Riaz Lal Jee and others.
These cases were transferred to NAB from the Federal Investigation Agency by the Supreme Court.
During last six months the bureau has filed 45 references with the accountability courts.
Sources close to the development informed The News that these cases include names of many influential people including Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, Shaukat Tareen, former Ogra chairman Tauqeer Sadiq, former member Ogra Mir Kamal, former member Ogra Mansoor Muzaffar, former secretaries water and power Shahid Rafi, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi and Ishfaq Mehmood, former secretary finance Salman Siddique, former chairmen Nepra Khalid Saeed and Yousaf Ali, former MDs PPIB Khalid Irfan Rahman, Fayyaz Elahi and Yousaf Memon, former MDs Pepco Tahir Basharat Cheema, Munawar Baseer Ahmad, CEOs Pepco Muhammad Arif Saleem, Fazal Ahmad Khan and Chaudhry Muhammad Anwar, Malik Naveed ex-IGP KP, Ghazan Haider Hoti, brother of former Chief Minister KP and others.
The NAB, during this period, has also authorized more than 30 new investigations and 60 inquiries while 50 major cases have been finalized or closed.
The NAB had already launched inquiry against three ex-chairmen of Federal Bureau of Revenue — Salman Siddique, Abdullah Yousaf and Ali Arshad Hakeem — for alleged corruption, corrupt practices and misuse of authority in award of computerization of FBR to a foreign company “M/s Agility’ which caused a loss of Rs100 billion to the national exchequer through tax evasion by using PACCS (Pakistan Automated Custom Computerized system) Pilot Project during 2005-06 and other miscellaneous allegations.