Combating corruption: NAB chief emphasises training for investigators, prosecutors

Qamar Zaman Chaudhry says bureau committed to eradicating corruption

ISLAMABAD: The country’s top anti-graft official has said that dedicated and highly trained staff was required to root out corruption from the country.

“As an apex body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is responsible for carrying out the gigantic task of eradicating corruption from society”, Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said while chairing a meeting to review training needs and capacity building of NAB investigation officers (IOs) and prosecutors at the bureau’s headquarters here on Monday.

The one-week training for trainers programme has been organised by the NAB in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Chaudhry said that the bureau attached great importance to its human resource development and a comprehensive training plan for 2016 has been devised to ensure continued professional development of its investigation officers and prosecutors.

“In order to ensure successful implementation of the programme, it is equally important that the trained staffers are fully capable and geared up to undertake this responsibility,” he said adding that training cells created at regional levels were primarily responsible for carrying out the planned activities in their respective regional bureaus.

He said that the training has been organised based on regional feedback and input of experts from other law enforcing agencies.

The NAB chairman also said that course contents have been revised and improved and two-week part time refresher courses for investigation officers have been planned instead of one-week full-time to ensure 100 per cent participation and to minimise disorder in routine activities of IOs. He said that this year as compared to two such courses held last year, the NAB has planned six capacity building courses, six staff development courses for officials.

He said our effort is to apprise you not only the importance of training.

“NAB gives maximum emphasis on training of its IOs and prosecutors. We have decided that these courses should be made mandatory for promotion. This will help improve the overall performance of officials. The training plan 2016 will be implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.

Chaudhry said that the NAB was committed to eradicating corruption and corrupt practices from the country by bringing the guilty to book according to the law. The chairman said that NAB recognises the centrality of training as a tool for improvement and maintaining the quality of its manpower.

He said that a standardised syllabus for all investigation officers, refresher and capacity building courses on accounts matters, general financial rules, digital forensic question documents and fingerprint analysis has been formulated to ensure quality and uniformity.

He also said that 110 new investigation officers were being trained at Police Training College Sihala. Their course contents have been designed on modern lines and a standardised syllabus for the capacity building of IOS has been formulated to ensure quality and uniformity which will help in achieving standard application of SOPs and laws.  

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2016.