Secret Fund: Ex-NAB chief warned of legal action

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) head office warned Rana Zahid Mehmood, who served as its former director-general, to return six official vehicles and pay over Rs500,000 siphoned from the bureau’s ‘secret funds’ or face legal action. A warning letter issued in this regard urged Mehmood, who was also the chief of the bureau’s Punjab unit, also to pay up Rs135,000 withdrawn from another NAB account and Rs55,000 in rent of a Federal Lodges suite. Earlier, officials had asked Mehmood verbally and in writing to surrender the vehicle and pay all liabilities. He had so far refused to do so. Sources said during his posting Mehmood ‘extorted’ Rs20,000 from his staff officer on promise of paying him back later. Mehmood has so far not paid this amount back.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2011.