SC orders NAB to investigate Pakistan Steel Mills corruption case

Supreme Court expresses lack of trust in the investigation conducted by the FIA.

ISLAMABAD: Announcing its verdict in the suo motu case regarding corruption worth Rs26.5 billion in Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered that the case be transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Express News reported on Wednesday.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed the director-general of FIA to hand over all investigation records to NAB.

The court expressed lack of trust in the investigation conducted by the FIA.

The Supreme Court directed NAB’s chairman to supervise the inquiry and told him to conclude it within three months. The court also directed him to submit a compliance report every 15 days.

Bail of all the accused in the case was also annulled.

The Supreme Court issued a contempt of court notice to Interior Minister Rehman Malik for “unnecessary transfers” of officials conducting the probe, on December 17, 2009.

The court sought a reply from Malik within two weeks when the next hearing of Supreme Court will take place.