SC disposes of suo motu case on NAB plea bargain

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday disposed of a suo motu case about the voluntary return rules of the National Accountability Bureau with the observation that under the new NAB amendments, the flaw has been addressed.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial, disposed of the suo motu case taken in 2016 under Section 25-A of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial said that the flaw in the instant law has been addressed through amendments made in 2022 to the NAO 1999.

Under Section 25-A of the NAO (1999), an accused of corruption got clean chit after voluntarily returning the graft amount under the plea bargain.

The additional attorney-general recalled that the apex court had taken suo motu action about the reinstatement of officials after they voluntarily returned the graft amount under the plea bargain rules of the NAB.

“The purpose of suo motu notice has been served, as now under the new amendments made to the NAO law, Section 25-A of the NAB law will be considered an offence,” the law officer informed the court.

The law officer submitted that the offender will now face the same punishment for the voluntary return of money that was part of the plea bargain as well.

The law officer submitted that an offender will be banned for 10 years from holding public office after the voluntary return of public money.

Meanwhile, the NAB’s additional prosecutor requested the court that the instant matter be taken up after the apex court concluded the pending case, challenging the amendments made in 2022 to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) of 1999.

Chief Justice Umer Ata Bnadial observed that not all the amendments to the NAB law were challenged before the apex court.

The court, after disposing of the case, said that other matters clubbed with NAB amendments would be heard separately.