NLC case: NAB reminders about retired generals ignored

Chairman says army officials have yet to respond to NAB missives.

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has sent several reminders to army officials regarding the three retired generals implicated in the billion-rupee National Logistics Cell (NLC) case, but officials have not responded yet, according to NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

“We are restrained from taking action against the army personnel as per law,” he said, responding to a question about the authority’s inaction against three retired generals in the Rs2 billion case. “The reference against civilians is under process and will soon be filed,” he added.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the chairman added that cases against former President Asif Ali Zardari are being pursued in courts whereas the matter related to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is sub judice in the Lahore High Court (LHC). To a question about Swiss cases against former President Zardari, he said the government has sent a reference against the former law secretary but the case is sub judice [pending in Supreme Court].



“I will endeavor to ensure that all those guilty of corruption are taken before the courts and acted against. I will make an equal endeavor to ensure that those innocent are not made to suffer,” he said.

“NAB must not be seen as a tool for political victimisation nor should it be seen as permitting the big fish to go free while punishing the small fry.”

NAB Prosecutor General KK Agha said the recovery of money is the function of the authority and ‘everyone has the right to avail a plea bargain’.

NAB stated that of 2,107 cases of Voluntary Return, there were 948 cases of Plea Bargain in which an amount of Rs258.72 billion was recovered.

The authority has so far conducted 4,419 inquiries out of which 649 are under process while investigations had been completed in 253 cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.