Massive cash seizure: Court remands Raisani into NAB custody for 2 weeks

Opposition calls for Balochistan govt’s resignation

QUETTA:

A sessions court on Saturday remanded Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Raisani into the National Accountability Bureau’s custody for 14 days as the former chief minister presented himself for accountability.

A day earlier, NAB officials raided Raisani’s office and formally placed him under arrest. They also raided his residence and seized Rs730 million in cash and jewellery worth nearly Rs40 million.

As Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Hanif on Saturday handed over Raisani to NAB for interrogation, the opposition in Balochistan Assembly censured the provincial government and called for the resignation of the chief minister and his cabinet. Leader of the Opposition Maulana Abdul Wasay also threatened to stage walkouts and boycott assembly proceedings until his demand is met.

“If the finance secretary has so much money then the higher officers and ministers should have much more,” he said. Referring to a remark of Balochistan former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Wasay presented himself for accountability as he has served as the planning minister for three consecutive terms.

“The corrupt elements in the government have been financing terrorism and they are involved in money laundering from Balochistan,” Wasay said.

Earlier, Balochistan former CM Dr Baloch said he was stunned by the mega corruption scandal as he had always regarded his government clean and corruption-free. He said he was unaware that such a high level corruption had taken place under his nose.

“I offer myself for accountability by NAB or any other state institution or the superior judiciary,” he said, adding that “investigation into corruption be started from 2002 when Musharraf held elections.”

Speaking on the floor of the house, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance Mir Khalid Lango said he had resigned on instructions from his party and offered himself for investigation.

NAB official’s media talk

NAB’s Balochistan Director General Tariq Mehmood Malik said the accountability watchdog had a tipoff regarding Raisani’s involvement in corrupt practices. “We launched an investigation and after getting concrete proofs, we raided his office and arrested him,” he said.

Malik said it was not easy to act against white collar crimes because NAB could not proceed without solid proof. “We had been monitoring the Finance Department for the last one year and after comprehensive investigation we arrested the finance secretary,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2016.