Hamstrung: NAB working without own whistleblowers

ISLAMABAD:

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials probing high-profile cases work without a mandatory check by intelligence wing, a fact that may cast a shadow over the transparency of the institution.  

NAB’s intelligence wing has been practically non-functional since the departure of its last head and his associates three months ago.

In the absence of a check on their activities, the NAB investigation officers can violate accountability laws and establish contacts with people accused of corruption outside of the bureau’s premises.

“In such a situation, there is every chance that the investigation officers may stray towards malpractices or corruption,” said a senior NAB officer. Regular inquiries by bureau’s intelligence wing into complaints of graft were also suffering, the officer added.

The bureau has been left completely dependent on volunteer whistleblowers. One of the key jobs of the intelligence wing is to uncover cases of corruption in public departments.

The last chief of intelligence wing Col (retd) Ghazanfar Ali retired on June 30 this year. His two subordinates Maj (retd) Arif and the deputy director Rawalpindi bureau Maj (retd) Mussadaq left soon after.

After the departure of the three supervising officers, the bureau’s intelligence unit was in a shambles. The ground staff was in place but it was directionless and thus ineffective. An assistant director of the NAB was given the charge of the wing but it was beyond his capacity to run the unit without having prior experience and training in intelligence, the NAB officer said.

“At the moment, the NAB was relying on other intelligence agencies for inquiries into complaints of corruption and key investigations currently underway,” said the officer.

The absence of a vigilant intelligence wing was felt the most during investigation of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) case. “NAB received multiple complaints that certain investigation officers were in secret contact with the accused and were giving him undue favours,” said an officer.

Most recently, in the Rs1.3-billion modarbara scam , a middleman managed to extract huge funds from the accused Qari Ehsanul Haq by using the name of NAB and the intelligence unit failed to check that.

“He took million of rupees and three four-wheelers in bribe from the accused in the case by claiming that he would get the case ‘settled’ with NAB,” said an investigation officer.

The officer alleged that Ali, the then chief of intelligence wing, was also found favouring the middleman for financial favours. The bureau, however, was undecided on initiating action against Ali.

The senior NAB officer said the accountability bureau needed its own officers to be deployed in the intelligence wing. Hiring retired armed forces’ men on contracts would always involve the risk of them getting indulged in corrupt practices, the officer added.

After his retirement, the former head of intelligence unit, Ali, was not answerable to NAB management.

The new NAB chairman, whenever he is appointed, would have an uphill task before him to revamp and strengthen the intelligence wing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.