Says NAB’s DG Sindh creating mess; Justice Hani Muslim

asks if officers have been earning money under the garb of voluntary return scheme

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday took serious exception over the conduct of National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s investigation officers on complaints about forcing private contractors and persons to enter the Voluntarily Return Scheme to clear cases pending against them.

Hearing the NAB’s appeal against the accountability court’s order that refused the remand of a private person in a fraud case, the SC three-member bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, observed that NAB has been made anti-corruption department and its DG Sindh is creating a mess. 

It said courts had been receiving complaints from contractors and different quarters that NAB investigators were compelling private persons and contractors to enter the Voluntarily Return Scheme to end their cases.

“Have these officers been earning money under the garb of Voluntary Return Scheme?” Justice Hani asked, adding that NAB was hesitating to catch the big fish but was rather busy in conducting inquiries and investigations in corruption cases involving meager amounts.

The court observed that NAB was not following its standard operating procedure and inquired the deputy prosecutor general NAB as to what was the difference between the jurisdiction of NAB, Anti-Corruption Department and the Federal Investigation Agency.

“NAB has made a mockery of its powers by involving in fraud cases of Rs1 or 2 lakhs,” Justice Hani observed, directing the deputy prosecutor general of NAB to submit details of inquires, investigation and references being conducted by NAB involving less than Rs10 million corruption amount.

The court also took notice over non-appearance of the DG NAB and observed how consent had been given to probe cases involving less than Rs1 million corruption cases.

The court observed that NAB could not bypass the investigation agencies like the Anti-Corruption Department and Federal Investigation Agency and usurp their jurisdiction under Section 9 of the NAB Ordinance and there were complaints that they were taking cognizance on the basis of anonymous complaints involving meager amounts of corruption.

The court directed the DG NAB to place a list of cases being inquired and investigated by NAB involving corruption amount of less than Rs10 million. Besides, the court also directed the DG NAB to justify the continuation of instant proceedings involving Rs1 or 2 lakh corruption.

NAB had filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against the high court and administrative judge of the accountability order that refused the remand of a private suspect in a land fraud case in Korangi as he was not a public functionary.