Annual inspection: NAB Rawalpindi had 75% conviction rate

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi Bureau arrested 96 corrupt people and filed 34 references in the respective accountability courts during 2016 with an overall conviction ratio of 75 per cent.

This was revealed as NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry visited the bureau on the last day of a three-day annual inspection from January 18 to 20.

The inspection was carried out by the NAB chief’s Inspection & Monitoring Team (CI&MT) which reviewed and evaluated performance of the bureau based on the quantified grading system and the newly introduced quantified grading system.      .

During the review period, NAB Rawalpindi received 5,013 complaints which were processed according to the law. Of the 139 complaint verifications (CVs) approved, 125 were completed.

In a detailed briefing on the inspection, Chaudhry was informed by a senior member of the CI&MT that the Rawalpindi Bureau had authorised 194 inquiries of which 115 were completed. Meanwhile of the 93 investigations, 57 were completed on merit while 96 corrupt people had been arrested with 34 references had been filed in the respective accountability courts with a conviction ratio of 75 per cent.

Chaudhry said that corruption is a curse and the mother of all the evils. He added that corruption affects the country just like a cancer.

Pointing towards the performance of NAB, he said that figures of complaints, inquiries and investigations had almost doubled during the same periods from 2015 to 2016.

The NAB chief added that the Rawalpindi bureau was a flagship regional bureau which had played a prominent role in contributing towards overall performance of NAB. In this regard he pointed out that the establishment of a Forensic Science Lab at the bureau had helped improve its quality of evidence, secrecy and efficiency.

He appreciated the performance of NAB Rawalpindi under the supervision of NAB Rawalpindi DG. He directed all officials of the bureau to work harder to improve their performance in order to curb corruption and corrupt practices from the country. He also appreciated the CI&MT for their work.

However, he remarked that there always was room for improvement.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2017.