NAB chief for action against all corrupt persons

MULTAN: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has said that NAB will continue taking across the board action against the corrupt elements regardless of any fear and favour.

He said this in a message which was read out during cheques distribution ceremony held here on Wednesday. He said the NAB was investigating cases indiscriminately in a professional manner as “We see the case not the face”. NAB strongly believes in ‘zero tolerance policy against corruption’, he said.

Multan region NAB Director General Attiqur Rehman said that the NAB chairman was due in Multan but he could not make up for it due to cancellation of his flight. He said the metro bus corruption case had entered the final phase. He said that three out of five contract companies had submitted their application for plea bargain and return of amount.

Giving details of the cases and amount recovered through plea bargain, he said that NAB had distributed cheques worth Rs170 million among 28 affectees of four cases, including the government departments. The NAB had conducted investigation against Rahimyar Khan revenue department officials on converting 780-kanal agriculture land for commercial housing project namely ‘Model Avenue Housing Scheme’ without payment of condonation fee, which caused loss of Rs211.175 million to the national exchequer. The accused officials applied for plea bargains during the investigation and agreed to pay the total liabilities. The NAB had recovered a sum of Rs151 million and handed over the cheques of recovered amount to the Rahimyar Khan deputy commissioner. The NAB officials did not mention the names of the accused persons.

The NAB had investigated Multan Subhan City housing project after the accused persons started an illegal housing scheme in 2011 and sold plots to public on the installment plan of 4-5 years. The NAB has recovered Rs11 million from the accused persons through plea bargain and handed over cheques among 208 affected persons.

The NAB authorities conducted investigation against Ahmedpur East LAC Rana Amjad Ali and others into embezzling compensation amount. The accused persons prepared a new inventory of crop survey, which resulted into excess payment of Rs25.9 million as compensation. The NAB has recovered Rs6.84 million from the accused persons and cheques were handed over to the Multan NHA general manager.

It conducted investigation against the management of Wapda Employees Cooperative Housing Society Multan and others for illegally allotting 3344 commercial plots in phase-III and caused loss of Rs1750 million to the society. The NAB officials distributed cheques worth Rs7,20,000 to the society’s president.