SUKKUR: National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Sukkur regional board on Thursday approved filing references against provincial minister Sohail Anwar Siyal and five others in accountability court and gave a nod to launching investigation into charges of accumulating assets beyond known source of income against former PPP MNA Nawab Khan Wassan and four other cases, said a NAB handout.

The NAB board’s meeting presided over by Sukkur NAB director general Mirza Irfan Baig accorded approval for filing the references against the provincial minister, district food controller of Larkana and Kandhkot-Kashmore Manzoor Ahmed Khoso and others, TMO of Naushahro Feroze taluka municipal administration, former regional director of Sindh Small Industries Umar Bux Soomro and others.

They face charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income, making illegal recruitments, promotions and misappropriating funds, misusing powers and illegal allotment of government land, and the references involve a total of Rs1,691 million corruption.

The NAB board also gave a nod to conducting investigation into five cases, including that of former PPP MNA Nawab Khan Wassan, who faced charges of making assets beyond known sources of income and misusing powers, and cases against officials of Qambar-Shahdadkot food department, who were accused of misappropriating wheat during 2019-20, causing heavy losses to national exchequer.

The board also approved recovery of Rs3.15m under plea bargain with six accused nominated in different cases and depositing it in national exchequer.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2021