NAB initiates probe against four Sindh finance officials: Officers insist they are innocent, will defend themselves

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an investigation into four high-ranking officials of the Sindh Finance Department, accusing them of corruption and possessing assets beyond their known sources of income.

Official correspondence of the NAB, accessed by The News, reveals that the anti-corruption authority has directed the Secretary of the Finance Department, Sindh, to furnish various details related to the accused officers. These include their service profiles, posting history, annual asset declarations, personal files, salary details, bank account information, and records of any awards or loans received.

The officers under investigation are Zameer Hussain Khokhar (District Accounts Officer), Syed Imam Bakhsh Shah (Sub-Accountant), Ghulam Shabir Depar (Treasury Officer), and Raza Muhammad Abbasi, also known as Makhdoom Kaleem (senior computer operator).

NAB’s correspondence states that the Sindh Finance Department possesses information and evidence related to corruption and the accumulation of assets beyond the officers’ known sources of income. The inquiry focuses on the alleged offenses committed by the four officers.

Over the past three years, multiple corruption cases within the district finance offices of the province have come to light. NAB, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment are actively investigating several cases involving officers engaged in corrupt practices. As a result of departmental proceedings, a dozen of officers have been dismissed, many suspended, and some have been directed to report to the head office.

In response to the allegations, all four officers, including Zameer Hussain Khokhar, Syed Imam Bakhsh Shah, Ghulam Shabir Depar, and Raza Muhammad Abbasi (Makhdoom Kaleem), have denied any wrongdoing. They assert their intention to contest the proceedings and defend themselves against the allegations.