NAB vows to conclude all corruption cases

DG says indiscriminate action will continue against corrupt elements

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General Saleem Shahzad said all mega corruption cases will reach their logical conclusion.

He was speaking at an event held to release NAB Lahore's report on the first four months of 2019. Shahzad said on Thursday that the bureau was strictly following its policy of "accountability for all" as it only believed in a "corruption-free Pakistan". He said the accountability watchdog would continue to take indiscriminate action against corrupt elements.



According to the report, a total of 211 inquiries are in process at the current time. At the beginning of the year, this number was 203. Eight inquiries were upgraded to investigations in the first four months. About 18 inquiries were dismissed due to lack of evidence. As many as 49 investigations were carrying on at the start of the year, while 14 new ones were approved. Four corruption cases were closed due to lack of evidence.

At least 400 complaints were at the verification stage at this current point in time. The decision to take these to the inquiry stage or dismiss them will be taken soon.

Eleven references were filed before accountability courts after the completion of investigations. The references included the Ramzan Sugar Mills case against former Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz.



There was also a reference filed against accused Qamarul Islam in the Saaf Pani Company Case. References were also filed in the Nandipur corruption and Sargodha University embezzlement cases.

At least 46 accused were arrested by NAB Lahore’s intelligence wing. The detained individuals included former senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan and SSP Junaid Arshad. Plea bargains amounting to Rs2.5 billion were approved by the court for 25 accused persons. The authority has received at least Rs1.27 billion directly. NAB officials also scored big by recovering Rs7 in a housing society case.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2019.