ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has spent Rs22.5 million on foreign trips by its 67 officials since 2000, the Senate was informed in its last session.

In a written reply to a question raised by Dr Safdar Ali Abbasi, the Senate was informed that the NAB’s ex-chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Munir Hafiez made the highest number of foreign trips.

During his 27 trips abroad, Mr Hafiez visited 39 countries and ran up an expenditure of Rs5.816 million.

This was in contrast to the first chairman of the bureau, Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Hussain, who undertook only three trips abroad, to the UK and the US, and the amount incurred for them was Rs339, 261.

The document revealed that Mr Hafiez visited once or more than once Switzerland, London, Dubai, Washington, New York, Mexico, Moscow, Jeddah, Dubai, Seoul, Zurich, Sydney, Malaysia, Philippines, Nairobi, Paris, Vietnam, Australia and China.

It said the NAB’s deputy chairmen Maj-Gen Shujaat Zamir Dar and Hassan Wasim Afzal each visited the US and Switzerland.

Other bureau officials who made foreign trips were also named.