ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has followed through more cases in the last five years than any other time in its history and 2018 has been its most active year yet, a yearly performance report issued by the agency says.

NAB Rawalpindi arrested 50 accused individuals which is so far the highest number for the agency.

The Rawalpindi bureau filed references against former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani in a case for illegal publicity campaigns via Midas Pvt Ltd and attempting to cause loss to the national exchequer.

It also filed references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz regarding the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment.

NAB Rawalpindi received 7,841 complaints during 2018 and most of them were disposed of as per law, which is also the highest number in five years.

The Complaint Verification Cell conducted inquiries and investigations and filed 50 corruption references in the accountability courts in 2018. It recovered Rs218 million and dispersed them among various government departments and complainants against housing societies.

The bureau recovered Rs3.6 billion in rental power projects and distributed the amount among contractors and government departments. The main accused in these references are former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, former finance minister Shaukat Tareen, bureaucrat Ismail Qureshi and others.

NAB Rawalpindi also filed a corruption reference in an accountability court in Islamabad against former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and former federal minister for water and power Liaquat Ali Khan Jatoi for the illegal appointment of Basharat Hasan Bashir as consultant MP-2 scale in the Alternate Energy Development Board.

The bureau filed a reference in an accountability court in Islamabad against former federal minister for communication and railways retired Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, former secretary and chairman Railway Board retired Lt Gen Saeeduz Zafar and other officials involved in the illegal award of lease of the Railways Golf Club, Lahore.

Among some of the public concern cases was the Mufti-Modaraba case in which the accused, CEO Fayazi Group of Industries Mufti Ehsanul Haq and nine other were convicted by an accountability court.

The court awarded a sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and Rs9bn in fines to Mufti Ehsan while a fine of Rs1bn was imposed on the other accused, which is also the maximum conviction secured in the history of NAB.

NAB Rawalpindi Director General Irfan Naeem Mangi said the bureau has investigated complaints, collected evidence and filed cases in accountability courts and that the bureau is proud of its success rate.

He said NAB Rawalpindi will improve its performance further in the future as per the law.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2019