ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: Mansur-ul-Haq, who has been stripped of his rank of admiral in a single deal of purchase of three cargo ships for the Shipping Corporation of Pakistan caused a loss of over $50 million to the government exchequer.

These ships, which were purchased at a total cost of $47.14 million, higher by at least $19 million of their market value never came to Pakistan and scrapped, NAB officials said on Tuesday.

NAB has so far not traced the money received by Mansur-ul- Haq and two other officials Javaid Ali and Mirza Ashfaq Beg of Pakistan Navy. “Who received what, we are still investigating,” he said.

The investigations were still going on but NAB had concrete evidence of kickbacks and commissions in this purchase, Prosecutor General Raja Bashir told a press conference.

Mr Bashir said that there was no evidence of Benazir Bhutto’s involvement who was the prime minister at that time in the ship purchase case.

Apart from the loss sustained by the government through the purchase of obsolete ships, the PNSC had to spend huge amounts on their repairs subsequently, he said.

In the purchase of Apolonia, which was later renamed as Sawat, the total estimated loss was of Rs690 million. Similarly, in the purchase of Ora Bhum renamed as Shalamar, the loss was of Rs677m and in Independent Voyager renamed as Lalazar the country suffered a loss of Rs483m.

He said the investigation revealed that in 1994 principal accused Mansur-ul-Haq, as chairman PNSC manipulated approval for the purchase of three ships for the corporation. Subsequently on his appointment as chief of Naval Staff he continued supervision of the purchase process of said ships and got appointed Javid Ali as the acting chairman of PNSC and Mirza Ashfaq Beg as director ship management.