ISLAMABAD, MAR 02 (DNA) – Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB has chaired a meeting to review overall performance of NAB at NAB Headquarters.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman NAB, Prosecutor General Accountability (PGA) DG Operations and other senior members of NAB including Director General of all Regional Bureaus attended the meeting through via video link.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman NAB said that taking mega corruption cases/white collar crime cases to logical conclusion is top most priority of NAB. NAB strongly believes in conducting the inquiries and investigations of white collar crimes on scientific lines that too after collecting solid evidence as per law. Corruption is mother of all evils, NAB committed to root out corruption in all its forms and manifestations, he added.

During the meeting, it was informed by DG operations, that out of 179 mega corruption cases, NAB had filed 98 corruption references in different accountability courts, while 52 references has been taken to logical conclusion. Currently, out of 179 mega corruption references, 13 inquiries and 16 investigations are under process.

A total of 1275 corruption references involving Rs 943 billion are at different stages of hearing in 25 accountability courts. He said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recovered Rs 178 billion from the corrupt elements during the tenure of present management of NAB under the dynamic leadership of Honorable Mr. Justice Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB.

It was further informed that NAB had already has disposed off a total of 46,123 complaints from out of 51,591 received during 2019, while action is being taken to dispose of remaining 13,299 complaints.

NAB had authorized 1464 complaint verifications, out of which 1362 complaint verifications have been completed, while investigations of 770 complaint verifications are under process.

NAB has received over 30,000 applications from the affectees of Mudarba and Mukharika scandals.NAB has so far arrested 45 persons besides filing 28 references in different accountability courts.

NAB has established over 50,000 character building societies in across country universities and colleges in order to aware people youth about the ill effects of corruption at an early age.

Chairman NAB, Mr. Justice Javed Iqbal has said that measures are being taken to check money laundering. The money stashed abroad through corrupt means would be taken back to the country as per law. NAB has improved its overall workings with the help of anti corruption strategy.

NAB has fixed a period of 10 months to finish the case right from conducting complaint verification to filing a reference.

NAB has introduced new concept of Combined Investigation Team (CIT) in order to have collective wisdom of senior officers which is lending quality. He said that inquiries and investigations of fake housing/cooperative societies would be taken to logical conclusion. NAB had filed a reference against Mufti Ehsan in an accountability court Islamabad on looting people in Muzarba scandal.

The accountability court had awarded Mufti Ehsan ten years imprisonment and Rs. 9 billion fine in Muzarba case. Likewise NAB had also filed another corruption reference in accountability court against on looting people.

The court awarded 10 years imprisonment and Rs 3.7 billion fine to the culprit. NAB has arrested 45 accused persons involved in Muzarba/Musharka scandal; NAB is working hard to bring back the absconders with the help of INTERPOL so that the looted amount could be returned to the affectees. He asked the people to invest in only legal and approved housing societies/cooperative societies after due verification from concerned regulators.=DNA