NAB committed to recovering looted money: chairman

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal has said that NAB is committed to recover looted money from corrupt across the board and apprehend corrupt, proclaimed offenders and absconders with iron hands.

“The NAB has approved filing of 440 corruption references after collecting concrete evidence, apprehended 503 accused persons under effective enforcement policy, received 44315 complaints, conducted 1713 complaint verification, 877 inquiries and 227 investigations besides depositing Rs258 billion in national exchequer during the last one year,” he said in a statement on one year performance of the NAB.

The NAB chairman said a total of 1210 references involving the corruption of Rs900 billion are under trial in various accountability courts of the country. He has ordered inquiries on various complaints in last one year including investigations against 56 Public Limited Companies in Punjab, 435 offshore companies in British Virgin Islands, corruption in the construction and expansion of Kachhi Kanal, recovery of looted money of public from private Housing Societies.

He said the NAB has constituted over 50,000 character building societies across country in colleges and universities and has also established 60 Prevention Committees at federal and provincial level including Capital Development Authority (CDA), Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Press Information Department (PID) provincial education, health, revenue, housing and cooperative departments for promoting transparency and upholding merit.

The NAB chairman said the arrest of proclaimed offenders and placing details of illegal housing societies on websites of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and Capital Development Authority (CDA). Chairman NAB’s direction to aware people through awareness and prevention strategy especially youth for ill effects of corruption across the country. He said that according to PILDAT report the NAB enjoys the support of 42 percent people.

“The Gallop and Gillani Survey has indicated that 59 percent people have trust upon the NAB. Similarly World Economic Forum and Transparency International have in their reports appropriated NAB’s performance as corruption perception index of Pakistan is continuously decreasing due to NAB’s efforts. Besides, NAB has signed an MOU with China to oversee CPEC Projects in Pakistan and to enhance cooperation in eradication of corruption.

Today, due to effective anti-corruption strategy of the NAB has rejuvenated and geared up to come up to the expectations of nation for corruption free Pakistan,” he said.