ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recorded on Friday the statement of Information Technology Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) case and decided to strike plea bargain deals with all the accused in the scam.

“Under the NAB Ordinance we will go for a plea bargain to recover the money plundered in the scam,” NAB chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari said.

The Supreme Court has ordered recovery with interest of the entire money involved in the scam. NAB has put on the Exist Control List names of those involved in the scam and served notices on the owners and chief executives of all RPPs asking them to pay Rs22 billion they have received from the government as the mobilisation advance for starting the projects. “Under Rule 25 of the NAB Ordinance we can go for a plea bargain in any case,” Mr Bokhari said.

Under the plea bargain deal, the accused voluntarily returns part of the embezzled money to NAB which then deducts 25 per cent of that money as its share.

A source close to the NAB chief said that after recovering some amount of the plundered money from RPPs, the bureau would refer the case back to the Supreme Court which would decide whether the rest of the amount was to be recovered or not.

According to one source, Mr Ashraf was accorded special treatment when he visited the NAB office and was served with tea.

NAB’s media cell incharge Dr Ayesha Siddiqa said: “NAB summoned Raja Pervez Ashraf in RPPs case and he appeared before the investigation team and was cross-examined for more than three hours. His statement was also recorded.”

She said NAB was rapidly proceeding against the accused.

“Today NAB’s investigation team summoned more than six accused in the case who participated in the proceedings,” she added.

The official said that NAB recovered on Friday Rs600 million in the shape of pay orders and Rs225 million through post-paid cheques.

She said NAB would go for a plea bargain deal with international firms to give them a chance to clear their names. “The facility will be provided to only international companies involved in the scam because their governments were involved at the time of their agreements with our authorities,” she said. The chief executive officers of some RPPs appeared before the investigation team and handed over the pay orders and cheques. Senior officials of Pepco and Wapda and managing directors of RPPs like PPIB and Genco were also examined and they recorded their statements.