Improving structure: NAB chairman reviews progress on inquiries

10-month timeline prescribed for disposal of cases

The National Accountability Bureau Qamar Zaman Chaudhry chaired a meeting on Tuesday to review the progress of inquiries and investigations being conducted by field formations.

The chairman, taking a serious notice of cases remaining pending for years, had ordered an in-house appraisal of the issues impeding expeditious processing and disposal of cases.

Based on the internal review, NAB initiated revamping and reengineering of the Enforcement Regime. The concept of the CIT (Combined Investigation Teams) was introduced whereby the Investigation Officer (IO) benefited from the collective wisdom of the supervisory officers as well as the prosecutors, a statement issued said.

Moreover, with improved infrastructure and rationalised workload, timelines have been prescribed for efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of case putting a maximum limit of 10 months- from complaint verification-to-inquiry-to investigation and finally to a reference in Accountability Court.

With this improved framework in places, a stock-taking exercise conducted had assigned a rational and probable date of completion (DOC) to every single case. All matters pending as on December 31, 2014 are to be processed in a streamlined and professional manner and to be finalised by the end of this month.

Any complex case not likely to be completed by the DOC will have to be justified with cogent reasons for delay beyond organisation’s control. A centralised monitoring mechanism has been devised to ensure compliance with the SOP’s and prescribed timelines. The meeting reviewed the performance of NAB’s field formations and expressed satisfaction that the schedule and timelines were being observed.

The chairman observed that in order to present a viable deterrence against corruption, NAB needs to transform itself into an efficient, professional and responsive organisation with the capacity to undertake complex white collar crime investigations in the shortest possible time since typical log-drawn and protracted proceedings failed to achieve the objectives of effective deterrence.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2015.