ISLAMABAD, June 20: The National Accountability Bureau is investigating only 2 per cent of the 1,042 corruption cases against the retired armed forces personnel, according to NAB’s annual report submitted to President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The report says it was because of an effective in-house accountability procedure pursued by the defence establishment that the number of cases against the armed forces personnel had been low.
A category-wise data shows that out of the total 22 authorized investigations against armed forces personnel, NAB has completed the inquiry into six cases.
In an attempt to dispel the impression that NAB has been carrying out selective accountability, against politicians in particular, the report said: “The NAB has not targeted any specific group and the net figure of bureaucrats is higher because of the suspected culpability of a larger number of civil servants as compared to political office-holders and errant businessmen”.
Of the total NAB investigations, 45pc are against bureaucrats, 27.7pc against politicians and only 4.2pc against businessmen. NAB investigated 199 politicians. Of these, 41pc belonged to the PML, 32pc to PPP and 27pc to other parties.
The report said that NAB’s overseas operations wing was pursuing the extradition of many absconders, and interacting with the security and judicial authorities of the concerned countries for the purpose. To facilitate the investigation abroad, NAB has engaged two foreign firms — M/s International Assets Recovery and M/s Broadsheet. In all, 113 targets have been registered with both firms, it said.
NAB, the report said, had also made 10 requests For mutual legal assistance in criminal matters to different countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Under the plea bargain clause of the NAB ordinance, the report said that out of the agreed Rs1.825 billion, a total of Rs1.25 had been recovered till December.
On account of diversion of funds and loan defaults, NAB’s banking wing is currently investigating cases to the tune of Rs15 billion, while approximately 300 loan default complaints involving more than Rs65 billion are currently pending, awaiting formal references from the State Bank. From Oct 12, 1999 till Dec 31, 2001, NAB has effected cash recoveries of Rs62.107 billion. Defaulted loans to the tune of Rs51.252 billion were restructured by the banks and other financial institutions, the report said.
The report identifies some politicians, including former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, in a list of high-profile convictions. Those convicted under the NAB ordinance have been debarred from holding public office for 10 years, it said.
Among those disqualified from holding the public office are six former chief ministers, one former senator, 20 former members of the provincial assemblies, seven former members of the National Assembly and two former prime ministers.
