ISLAMABAD: Investigators from the National Accountability Bureau on Monday grilled former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for at least three hours over the illegal appointment of former Ogra chairman Tauqeer Sadiq.

Sadiq is wanted by the anti-corruption body over his involvement in a Rs 82 billion corruption scam, and is awaiting extradition to Pakistan after a verdict from a UAE court where he was hiding after fleeing the country.

Sources told Dawn.com that the former prime minister told NAB investigators that he was solely responsible for the appointment of Tauqeer Sadiq and was not being directed by President Zardari or then Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary General Jehangir Badar to do so.

Sadiq is Jehangir Badar’s brother-in-law.

The Supreme Court, which had on Nov 25, 2011 declared the appointment of Tauqeer Sadiq as illegal, had disclosed that Raja Pervez Ashraf was chairman of the interview board that approved the former Ogra chairman’s appointment.

Yousuf Raza Gilani was prime minister at the time.

Ashraf also told NAB investigators today that he was falsely accused of issuing 200 licenses to CNG stations as alleged in media reports. He told NAB officials that he had approved 68 CNG stations' licenses which were already approved in 2010 by his predecessor.

Meanwhile, Yousuf Raza Gillani, who was also summoned by NAB on Monday, did not show up.