ISLAMABAD, May 20: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs180 billion during the last four years, the NAB chairman, Lt-Gen Munir Hafiz, said here on Thursday while answering a question in a radio programme launched by the bureau on Radio Pakistan's FM-101 channel.

The programme has been launched in collaboration with Radio Pakistan to create awareness among the people about the bureau's working and the latest position about high-profile corruption cases.

Mr Hafiz said the amount had been recovered through bank recoveries, indirect recoveries and plea-bargain deals with the accused people. Replying to a question from a caller, he said the bureau had prosecuted politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats.

He said most of those punished and fined were bureaucrats. He said the bureau had investigated and prosecuted people involved in corruption belonging to all sections of the society.

The NAB chairman said the bureau was now moving towards the awareness and prevention campaign against corruption. He urged the youth to inquire from their elders if any wrong money was coming to their notice.

Asked about the sitting members of parliament and district Nazims, the NAB chief said details of their assets were with the Election Commission of Pakistan and it was up to it to scrutinise them.

Asked about the system to check mis doings within the NAB, if any, Mr Hafiez said they had a special vigilance wing to check such things. He said the complainant will have to give some information and the rest will be done by the NAB officials to fully investigate any malpractice. He said the NAB accountability law was applicable to all federal government departments.