Anti-graft watchdog files 134 corruption references

ISLAMABAD:

National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Balochistan chapter has filed 134 corruption references valuing Rs22 billion in various accountability courts.

The anti-graft watchdog also deposited Rs125 billion in the national exchequer during the tenure of incumbent management, said Director General NAB, Balochistan Farmanullah Khan.

Briefing a meeting, chaired by Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, to review the performance of NAB Balochistan, he said that from out of a total of 5,000 complaints, investigations were initiated on 1,100 complaints.

Lauding the policy of the Balochistan bureau, the NAB chief said Balochistan bureau had retrieved Rs252 billion in the Gwadar land scam and handed over it to the Balochistan government.

References worth billions of rupees had also been filed in connection with Gwadar land. NAB had also handed over properties valuing Rs 650 million from the convicted persons to the provincial government. The conviction ratio remained 78 per cent.

The meeting was also informed that the Balochistan bureau had received 1,191 complaints in 2018, of which 103 inquiries were authorized after scrutiny of 112 complaints. 13 references were also filed in this regard besides depositing Rs1.5 billion in the national exchequer.

NAB Balochistan director told the meeting that the bureau had received 836 complaints in 2019 against different officers of government departments out of which 106 inquiries were authorized after scrutinising 169 complaints. Around 127 inquiries and investigations were conducted during the year. 18 corruption references valuing at Rs21.8 billion were filed. Approximately Rs 80 million were deposited in the national exchequer.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2021.