NAB approves two investigations, four inquiries

Chairman says bureau has directly or indirectly recovered Rs153 billion in last 26 months

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its Executive Board’s Meeting (EBM) on Wednesday authorised conducting two investigations and four inquiries against various personalities and closing down several inquiries due to lack of evidence.

The EBM chaired by retired Justice Javed Iqbal was attended by NAB deputy chairman, prosecutor general accountability, director general operations and other senior officers of the bureau.

The meeting authorised filing a corruption reference against Abdul Hameed Mengal, former project director, Balochistan Integrated Water Resource Management and Development Project (BIWRMDP), Balochistan irrigation department and others, causing losses worth Rs216.294 million to the national exchequer by allegedly granting illegal contract to Nari Gorge Integrated Grand Scheme.

The EBM authorised starting two investigations against the officers/officials of Anti-Corruption Establishment Karachi, Sindh, officials of revenue department scheme 33, Gulzar-e-Hijri, District Karachi and others.

The EBM okayed conducting four inquiries against Manzoor Ahmed Kanaser, Director General, Culture Department, Government of Sindh; Director Directorate of Planning and Development Works, Government of Sindh; officers/officials of Land Utilisation Department, Government of Sindh; Mir Nadir Magsi, Member Provincial Assembly; Sindh, officers/ officials Land, Local Government Department and Provincial Highways Department; Bilawal Sheikh, Contractor; Paras Ram, Contractor and Nawab Sardar Khan Chandio, Member Provincial Assembly, Sindh and others.

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The EBM accorded approval for closing inquiries against Professor Dr Mujeebuddin Memon, Vice Chancellor, Sindh Agricultural University Tando Jam and others and officers/ officials of Provincial Highway Division, Sanghar and others due to lack of evidence.
The EBM authorised sending inquiries against the employees of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) procurement and logistics departments and others to the management of the organisation for further action.

The EBM sanctioned sending the ongoing inquiries against Abdul Jabbar Bhutto, Syed Ahmed Shah and others to Sindh chief secretary for further action.

The board directed the concerned to get technical report of inquiry against officers/officials of National Highway Authority, Ashraf D Baloch, government contractor and others from NED University, Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, retired Justice Javed Iqbal said that NAB had directly or indirectly recovered Rs153 billion in the last 26 months and deposited the money in the national kitty.

The anti-corruption watchdog filed 630 corruption cases in different accountability courts and recovered billions of rupees from 44 accused involved in Mudarbah/Musharakah scams.

Currently, 1,261 corruption references involving Rs943 million are pending in 25 accountability courts.