NICL scam: NAB questions its chairman, FTO; summons ex-PM Gilani

Statements of the accused regarding the charges they face were recorded during preliminary session.

ISLAMABAD: Formally launching its investigations on Supreme Court’s decision in National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scandal, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) joint investigation team has on Tuesday summoned and probed its chief and former interior secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

Besides probing the serving Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) and former secretary establishment Abdur Rauf Chaudhry, former director general Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Malik Muhammad Iqbal and others, the investigation team also served notice to the former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to appear before the JIT on Wednesday.

Former premier Gilani was accused of making the alleged illegal transfer of the investigation officer in the NICL scandal. All other government officials accused of authorising the transfer, including Rauf Chaudhry, maintained they merely acted upon the orders of the PM.

“Investigation was at a preliminary stage where written statements of accused persons were recorded with regard to the charges they were facing,” said a senior NAB officer privy to the investigations.

They were asked to verify if certain documents were issued with their signatures and authority, he added. “At this stage, NAB does not have the complete record of the case. However, the investigations would grow intense as the case progresses,” said the officer.

The JIT comprising NAB DG (Operations) Zahir Shah, four NAB investigation officers, a police officer and an official from SECP (Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan) questioned the accused thoroughly.

“Originally meant for half an hour, individual investigations session with every accused went for more than 90 minutes in most cases,” the NAB officer told The Express Tribune.