IF the National Accountability Bureau believes it has done a good job by recovering over Rs3bn from a former finance secretary of Balochistan and a co-accused under a plea bargain agreement it should think again. When he was caught, Mr Raisani was found with more than Rs730m in his home in cash. He had no explanation for what these funds were intended for and why they were in his home. Moreover, he was known to have transferred vast sums abroad, most probably using the hundi and hawala channels for the purpose. At the time, NAB accused him of involvement in corruption topping Rs40bn. Today, we discover that all it has been able to recover from him are two automobiles and a number of houses, meaning all that NAB could find in the case, after holding the man since May, was what was visible to the naked eye: cash, gold, vehicles, houses. Nothing has come to light about the activity the former official was involved in, and now, as a result of the plea bargain, he walks away free with a clean slate.

This is truly shameful. Are the investigative powers of NAB so rudimentary that the institution was unable to learn anything about the rackets in which Mr Raisani was involved? Nothing at all about who else was involved with him? Nothing whatsoever about the illegal channels for the transfer of the funds, or how many funds were sent abroad? If one can engage in corruption so brazenly and walk away scot-free simply after surrendering a few assets that are worth less than a twentieth of what one is accused of embezzling, then what sort of accountability is NAB really in the business of?

The chairman’s message that all of this money would be returned to the government of Balochistan sounds almost farcical next to the questions that arise from the plea deal. The people of Balochistan were undoubtedly expecting more than a few billion rupees. The message that NAB has sent to all would-be corrupt officials is simple: keep a little bit of what you steal aside so that you can buy your reputation and freedom back once caught. The Supreme Court has rightly questioned the powers of plea bargaining under which NAB routinely releases people after recovering paltry amounts from them, and Mr Raisani’s case along with that of his co-accused, who is supposedly a front man for a former adviser to the Balochistan chief minister, only strengthens the argument that these powers ought to be taken away from the bureau. Accountability does not mean simply handing over a wad of cash in order to walk away from one’s crimes. It means ensuring that such crimes are exposed and the loopholes plugged to prevent similar wrongdoing. If NAB cannot ensure that, perhaps in his next news conference the chairman should explain why the bureau should continue to exist at all.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2016