Rental power cases: NAB chief’s seal awaited in references against Raja

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is all set to file references against former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and other accused after completing a probe into three more rental power cases.

The NAB chairman has to sign the references before they can be filed in accountability courts. However, the bureau has been without a chairman for over three months after Admiral (R) Fasih Bukhari was removed on Supreme Court’s orders on May 28, 2013.

“The investigators have collected enough evidence against the accused, but the cases have to be signed by the chairman too,” said an investigator.

The NAB has already filed a reference against Ashraf in Naudero II Rental Power Plant (RPP) case. The bureau has completed investigations into Sahowal Sialkot, Piranghaib Multan and Karkey I cases, where the ex-PM is among the accused. Former finance minister Shaukat Tareen is also a co-accused in the cases.

Investigations into six more RPP cases against the former premier are also under way.

“The NAB investigators send cases for references only after they are certain that the evidence collected will have 70% chances of getting the accused convicted by the court,” the NAB officer told The Express Tribune.

In almost all RPP cases, Ashraf was accused of “misusing authority” as minister for water and power and drawing financial benefits out of the contracts illegally awarded to multiple companies.

In the RPP contract awarded to Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim, the Turkish company, Ashraf and his associates in the alleged crime caused $128.2 million losses to the public exchequer.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2013.