File photo of the NICL logo. PHOTO: FILE
Despite the Supreme Court’s order, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is reluctant to investigate all eight cases related to the multi-billion-rupee National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scandal.
As a result, both the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and NAB are simultaneously investigating the NICL cases – causing undue delays in the recovery of losses and the prosecution process.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court in its verdict on November 22, 2013 had directed the accountability watchdog to take the reins of all NICL cases from the FIA and probe the multi-billion-rupee scam. However, out of the eight registered cases, NAB has so far only obtained records of only two.
On the other hand, contrary to apex court’s order, FIA is still investigating the remaining six cases – including four against Akram Warraich, a close relative of former state minister for defence production Major (retd) Habibullah Warraich, and Mohsin Habib Warraich, the main accused in the Rs5.34 billion NICL scandal.
Despite the court’s order to recover the outstanding amount of Rs420 million owed by Akram Warraich, both NAB and FIA have failed in bringing the amount back to the exchequer, after postdated cheques issued by Akram Warraich amounting to Rs420 million bounced.
Meanwhile, Mohsin Habib Warraich, Amin Qasim Dada, Javed Syed and Muhammad Iqbal Hussain are still at large.
According to FIA officials, NAB has only submitted formal applications before the Court of Special Judge Central seeking the transfer of two out of the eight cases vide FIR Nos24/2010 and 29/2010 to the Accountably Court.
Sources further revealed that despite FIA’s formal request, the accountability watchdog is reluctant to transfer the remaining six cases related to NICL scandal.
Commenting on the issue, NAB Spokesman Ramzan Sajid said that the accountability watchdog is implementing Supreme Court’s order in letter and spirit to investigate the NICL scam and has made substantial progress.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2014.
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And why is Makhdoom Amin Fahim and his wife and son not on the list of those being investigated directly when the money from the NICL was found in their actual bank accounts! Not to mention the fact that Ayaz Niazi was hired by Amin Fahim and even hid in Fahim's farm house in Islamabad for several months when Zafar Qureshi was looking for him! This all clearly shows a huge nexus between PML-N and PPP to protect their top politicians from the arms of the law, to cover each others corruption. I would urge the CJ to haul the FIA and NAB chief's and directors to court and hit them with contempt of court for letting the top politicians who have been directly involved in corruption go free, while victimizing the government officials who acted on the orders of the then Minister of Commerce, Amin Fahim.