NAB officials told to declare their assets

PAC also orders bank accounts of anti-graft body to be audited

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on Tuesday ordered that not only the assets of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officers, their children and relatives should be declared, but the bank accounts of the entire institution also be audited.

The PAC meeting was held under the chairmanship of Noor Alam Khan in which acting NAB Chairman Zahir Shah also appeared before the body.

The government spending watchdog sought details of the assets of all NAB directors and their families as well as the benefits granted to them.

The chairman of the PAC said NAB officials should submit its own details just like they sought from other citizens.

He added that NAB should present its assets from 1999 to date.

Noor further said a NAB official accepting a gift also fell in the domain of corruption.

The PAC chief ordered the NAB officials to submit details of their assets including used vehicles and benefits within a month.

Speaking on NAB inquiries, the PAC chairman inquired as to did the anti-graft body ever write a letter apologising to a person against who its allegation had not been proven.

The acting NAB chairman replied that that anti-graft body never apologised for not proving a case.

“The legal wing considers the proposal of the regional director to close the case and the executive board decides on it in consultation with the NAB chairman.”

At this point, PTI leader Shibli Faraz raised questions over the amendments being made to the accountability law.

He asked as to whether or not NAB would be able to function independently after the changes to the law. The acting NAB chairman replied that the anti-graft body only had to abide by the law.

“NAB has no authority to question the legislation.”

Addressing Shibli, the PAC chairman said legislation had to be discussed in parliament and the job of the institutions was to prevent corruption.

“If somebody has reservations, they can go to court,” he added.

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The PAC chairman stressed the need for ending the culture of political victimisation against those who were no longer in government.

Senator Saleem Mandviwala pointed out that NAB had claimed that it had recovered Rs820 billion so far. However, he added, the finance ministry said only Rs15 billion had been deposited in the national treasury.

Noor told him that the amount that will come to NAB would be audited. “Whatever the NAB collects should be deposited in the national treasury. Any institution that collects a single penny of the government will be audited.”

The acting NAB chairman told the PAC that anti-graft body did not keep a rupee for itself and it had single account where all the recovered money was transferred.

Noor said that if a case against him was still pending in NAB then he would step down from chairing today's PAC meeting.

The acting NAB chairman replied that he did not recall verbally, but he did not think the inquiry against him was closed yet.

He added that if the Noor was found innocent, NAB would definitely write a letter of apology to him.

In fact, he added that he would write a letter of apology to all those who would be found to be innocent in future.

Shibli said if the case against the PAC chairman was not closed, then he should morally step down from presiding over today's meeting.

In response, Noor told him that NAB usually filed a case against someone to discredit them.

During the meeting, bitter words were exchanged between the PAC chairman and NAB Sindh director general.

The NAB Sindh DG said the questionnaire that the PAC had ordered the officials of the anti-graft body to fill was for suspects.

He added that it would be better if you declare all the officers of NAB as suspects before telling them filling up the form.

Noor inquired as why he was having so much trouble with the order to declare assets.

“If NAB can hold us accountable, then its officials will also have to be held answerable.”

The PAC summoned the NAB officials again on July 7 with the record of execution of its orders.