Pakistan

Mushtaq Raisani 'cleared' by NAB

Raisani was taken into custody on May 6 after NAB recovered documents, Rs603 million during a raid at his residence

Our Correspondent December 22, 2016

Raisani was taken into custody on May 6 after NAB recovered documents, Rs603 million during a raid at his residence. YOUTUBE SCREENGRAB

QUETTA: The country’s top anti-graft watchdog has accepted the plea bargain application of former finance secretary Mushtaq Raisani who has offered to return Rs2 billion to the national exchequer.

Raisani was taken into custody on May 6, 2016 after a team of the National Accountability Bureau recovered sensitive documents and Rs603 million in cash during a raid at his residence.

NAB arrests Mushtaq Raisani's 'facilitator' in Karachi

Raisani ready to return Rs2b in plea bargain

According to NAB authorities, Raisani and contractor Sohail Majeed had submitted plea bargain applications which were approved during the conference of the executive board with NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry in the chair in Islamabad. The accused, who have confessed to their crime, are willing to return Rs2 billion to the national exchequer.

A huge amount to the tune of Rs2.25 billion had been released for local government development – but the lion’s share was allegedly embezzled by Raisani and his cronies who are currently on judicial remand.

Mushtaq Raisani case: Quetta bakery raid yields Rs5.7m

NAB has completed its investigations in the multibillion-rupee corruption scandal.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2016.

COMMENTS (18)

asad hasan | 7 years ago | Reply I feel the whole episode of plea bargains is a joke; the government is fooling the people. How can the NAB enter into a plea bargain with a corrupt official without the governments nod! There are clearly negotiations - political, financial, what have you - behind the scenes! Period. You can fool some people - all the time, all the people - some of the time; but not all the people -all the time.

Hasan Khan | 7 years ago | Reply Supreme Court should take suo moto notice of this

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Prabhjyot singh madan | 7 years ago | Reply Another USSR in the making.great news.I wish we could get away this way in India. A news Pakistan province of China. All hail cpec too.we Indians want you to pursue cpec asap please. Rab rakha

Muzzammail | 7 years ago | Reply Although plea bargain thing might not be an ideal scenario, however, the criticism on NAB only supports the corrupt culture. The civil society should root for all those who are fighting against corruption. It'll not be easy to eradicate it fully and immediately but every steps counts and should be appreciated.

Naveed Rahman | 7 years ago | Reply This is for the NAB officials dealing with this case. I think it is not as much as getting the money back, but setting an example for those who comit crime. Pakistan was supposed to be the land of the pure. Please donot make our country a laughing stock in international community. PAK Army set an example by rooting out the corrupt, its time for NAB to do the same. Make pakistanis proud by cleaning out the rubbish from this country.

Anjum | 7 years ago | Reply congratulation PML N

YP Mississauga | 7 years ago | Reply All thieves who are in prison for cash frauds should be asked to pay the cash fine once they have paid, they should be set free.

Ahmed Javed | 7 years ago | Reply wow, he robbed and accepts and now agrees to return money so he is free!!! Wow what a law. Hope this law applies to all types of stealing

Syed | 7 years ago | Reply Great , Make Pakistan great again !!! Congrats to Crime heaven " Pakistan ".

JA | 7 years ago | Reply What a justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shame

Dan | 7 years ago | Reply Very Shamful act by NAB, thats why no common man have any more faith in our Government and on the authorities who conduct trial of corruption. Person instead of being released by plea bargain would have been prosecuted to set example. But unfortunately there is no law and order thing in our country.

Ts | 7 years ago | Reply Now i am hating to live in this country. What a shame for all of us. We people should take the stand against this act and should ask govt to award death penalty to those who do corruption especially those holding public office. Enough is enough for god sake.

SB | 7 years ago | Reply NAB is a joke entity and should be confined to the garbage bin. People committing crimes, are caught red handed and then freed for a bargain price with a clean chit. So what's there to stop these criminals doing the same thing over and over again knowing that they will get away with it cheaply. Shameful organisation and how come the judiciary is allowing all this under their noses?

Prabhjyot singh madan | 7 years ago | Reply Simply wonderful....wow

Muzzammil | 7 years ago | Reply On the face of it and despite the sarcastic tone of this news report, looks like a good achievement by getting 2 billion rupees back to the public finance. Billions of rupees have been looted through corruption, which needs to be stopped immediately - only way forward for the country with huge potential.

bashir gul | 7 years ago | Reply check the assets of NAB officials.

Ahmed | 7 years ago | Reply This is not good governance... its great governance.. for the people in government!

Jawaid | 7 years ago | Reply The entire system is a farce. NAB itself is the chief plunderer with the very concept of "Plea bargain". Our law enforcing agencies are already practicing the concept for some time in order to enrich themselves. Our future generations would consider us a laughing stock! Some explaining will be needed to convince them with the concept of "Plea bargain".

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