Resolving mega corruption cases top priority: NAB chief

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed 105 out of a total of 179 mega corruption cases, which are under trial in various Accountability Courts.

As many as 14 cases of mega corruption were are at inquiry stage and 19 are at investigation stage while 40 mega corruption cases have been disposed of as per law. A meeting of NAB chaired by Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal to review progress in 179 mega corruption cases was held here at NAB Headquarters.

The meeting was attended by NAB's operation and prosecution divisions and senior officers. DGs of all regional bureaus of NAB participated through video link. The Prosecution Division of the NAB told the meeting that currently 1206 NAB corruption references of Rs900 billion are under trial in different accountability courts throughout the country. Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that taking mega corruption cases to logical conclusion is the top most priority of NAB. “The NAB gives preference to mega corruption cases and other cases are being sent to provincial anti corruption establishments,” he said.

He said that NAB has arrested 503 accused persons in last year besides filing 440 corruption references cases in different accountability courts. “No other agency has filed so many cases in one year time,” he said.

He said that currently 1206 NAB’s corruption references of Rs900 billion are under trial in different accountability courts throughout the country. NAB has decided to file applications in respected Accountability Courts for early hearing of 1206 corruption cases so that looted money of Rs900 billion should be received from corrupt elements, he said.

The Chairman NAB said that NAB is the only organisation which had approved conducting 1317 complaint verification, 877 inquiries and 227 investigations and prescribed 10 months’ time frame for logical conclusion of white collar corruption cases in the world. He said that NAB has established its own forensic lab which helps in getting concrete evidence against cases with the help of finger prints, mobile data and document reading etc.