ISLAMABAD: Appalled by the high rate of bails in under-trial mega corruption cases, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday to strengthen its legal team for taking such cases to their logical conclusion at the earliest.

“I am more interested in convictions and have reservations over weak investigations and doubts about closure of various inquiries,” he said at a meeting with the FIA high-ups to review progress in major corruption cases.

He called for tightening the noose around corrupt people and said that commission of any crime should lead to coordination between institutions to track down the perpetrators.

He said if it was proved that someone had been issued a fake computerised national identity card, his passport should be cancelled. “If they are in the country, they should be chased and their names put on the exit control list. And if they have succeeded in fleeing the country, the process to issue red warrants should be initiated. They should feel the pinch. They could be terrorists.”

Chaudhry Nisar said the FIA should not perform protocol duty for anybody. “I just want you to focus on your work.”

FIA receives ‘useful information’ from US about Axact scam

He clarified that no international non-governmental organisation had so far been refused registration. “They still have time to apply for fresh registration after which the ministry will take some time,” he said, adding that there was no question of rejecting any application for registration at this stage.

The meeting was told that the number of mega corruption cases, which was 87 in May and 88 in July, now stood at 93. The number of under-trial cases went up to 73 from 51 in May and 54 in July. The number of pending investigations declined to 20 from 36 in May and 34 in July.

It was told that 240 of the 351 accused in all mega corruption cases were on bail. Twenty-seven accused have been declared proclaimed offenders while 38 are absconders. Only 22 accused have been arrested.

Five major inquiries involving 29 accused are pending. The total number of inquiries is 12,055 of which 4,129 have converted into cases while 5,610 closed or transferred to other departments. The number of pending inquiries stands at 2,316.

AXACT DEGREE SCAM: The meeting was told that the FIA had received from the United States ‘useful information’ relating to the Axact fake degree scam and sought more documents pertaining to fake degrees, universities and bank accounts from it.

“We are in touch with the relevant US authorities,” FIA Islamabad Director Inam Ghani told the meeting. He said trial against the IT firm in a money laundering case was under way.

The meeting was informed that 16 of the 45 accused had been arrested while 23 were on bail and five declared proclaimed offenders.

The figures, however, appear to be incorrect as the total comes to 44.

EOBI SCAM: About the multi-billion-rupee Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) scam, the meeting was told that out of 16 cases in Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh, 12 were under trial and the rest under investigation. Out of the total 154 accused, 116 were on bail. Only three of the accused have so far been arrested while 19 declared proclaimed offenders and two are absconding.

In the eight cases in Punjab, bank drafts and cheques amounting to Rs6 billion have been submitted to the Supreme Court. The FIA’s Punjab director said moveable and immovable property of EOBI amounting to Rs 641 million had been seized.

The meeting was informed that in two Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) cases, two of the 38 accused had been arrested, 24 were on bail and three declared proclaimed offenders.

In the Haj scam, only one of the four accused was arrested while three were on bail.

In 72 cases which collectively form the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scam, the total number of accused is 110 – 74 are on bail and 36 declared proclaimed offenders.

The meeting was told that 946 acres of land belonging to the ETPB which was illegally sold had been recovered and the main accused arrested. About 237 kanals of the land given to the Defence Housing Authority was also returned. Some ETPB employees were involved in the scam and efforts are being made to arrest them.

HUMAN SMUGGLING: The meeting was briefed on the steps being taken to curb human smuggling and launch a campaign against illegal immigration consultancies. About 1,095 human smugglers were arrested during the period between Jan 1 and Oct 31. Twenty-seven most wanted human traffickers on the red book were also arrested.

The meeting was told that two model laws, including an act, to prevent and combat trafficking of women and children and smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air were pending with the Law Division and the Ministry of Interior.

Chaudhry Nisar directed the officers concerned to proceed with the proposed legislation.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2015