ISLAMABAD: A complaint has been filed with the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against two officials of the bureau for their alleged corruption.

When contacted, NAB spokesman Nawazish Ali Asim confirmed to Dawn that the complaint addressed to the chairman had been received. The complainants, he added, alleged that the NAB case and investigation officers in the Ministry of Commerce Cooperative Housing Society case were involved in corruption.

“Action will be taken according to the law. The internal accountability mechanism, headed by a senior member/chairman inspection team, examines such complaints,” he added.

Last year, 22 officers of NAB were dismissed from service after they were found involved in corrupt practices, Mr Asim added.

Sources said the members of the society in their complaint had requested the NAB chairman to suspend additional director investigation (wing II) and the investigation officer besides initiating departmental action against them.

They also requested the NAB chief to appoint an honest, experienced and senior officer to investigate the society’s case.

The complainants - society members Mohammad Ali and Abdul Waheed - stated: “We are the affected members of the housing society and have submitted to NAB Rawalpindi a complaint along with all the evidence against the society’s president for Rs2 billion corruption along with bogus allotment of 900 plots in January 2015.”

They said NAB had completed its inquiry in February 2016 and later froze all the accounts of the society. Besides, the society was asked to stop all the transaction - purchase, sale and transfer of the plots.

Moreover, a 400 kanals of land of the president of the society was cancelled by NAB, it stated.

However, the investigation officer of the case, Samina Rehman, was changed at the last moment.

“The evidence against the accused were produced to the newly-appointed investigation officers but instead of taking further action, they unfrozen the bank accounts of the society. Besides, the society was also allowed to continue the purchase, sale and transfer of plots.”

Such acts of the investigation and case officers suggested that they are hands in gloves with the corrupt elements of the society, the complainants added.

They said on June 14 and 16, the allegations leveled against the society office-bearers were discussed in the presence of the director investigation (wing 2). During the discussion, the NAB officials agreed with the point of view of the complainants regarding the allegations.

“But when the case and investigation officers were asked to take action against those involved in corruption, the officials were found reluctant.”

The complainants also alleged that the case officer harassed them in the office of the director investigation (wing II).

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016