ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau yesterday served another notice on Irfan Mangi, NAB’s representative in the joint investigation team probing the Panama leaks case, asking him to file reply in illegal appointments’ case with the warning to face the music in case he failed to do so, The Nation has learnt.
NAB Deputy Chairman Imtiaz Tajwar issued the notice to Irfan Mangi on May 31 this year. The NAB notice (a copy available with The Nation), said, “Please be informed that you are being afforded the opportunity of hearing in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Court in its suo motu notice on March 31, 2017. Your defence statement is required to be furnished to the committee formed by the apex court. A copy of the show-cause notice dated April 25, 2017, is forwarded with the advice to submit your reply within 15 days. In case of failure, it would be presumed that you have nothing to say in your defence and the case will be placed before the committee accordingly.”
Earlier, on April 25, the NAB served show-cause notices to Mangi and 77 others on the directives of the inquiry committee formed by the Supreme Court to investigate illegal appointments, promotions and deputations in the bureau. The Supreme Court had constituted the committee headed by Establishment Division Secretary Syed Tahir Shahbaz. The NAB issued the notices to the officers several days before the JIT started working.
The JIT, in its report submitted to the apex court last week, said, “The NAB is pressurising JIT member Irfan Mangi as it issued a show-cause notice to Mangi on April 25 about his deputation in the anti-graft body in 2004”.
Responding to the JIT allegations, NAB submitted its reply in the Supreme Court on Friday last, “The show-cause notice was issued to Mangi along with 77 others in pursuance of the Supreme Court order prior to the formation of the JIT”.
Earlier, Mangi, in his reply to the show-cause notice on May 20, said: “It is stated that I was posted as director general (Ops) at the NAB Balochistan in April 2017. During my posting there, I proceeded on foreign study tour as per the mandatory requirement of the national security and war course at National Defence University, Islamabad, after obtaining official permission from the competent authority on April 24, 2017”.
He added, “During the foreign study tour, I was informed that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has approved my name as a member of the Panama case joint investigation team and the NAB authorities, vide a notification, have associated me with the JIT with immediate effect. On my return, I immediately joined my new assignment as a JIT member in compliance with the said notification”.
He further said in his reply: “However, now I have been informed by the NAB office telephonically that a show-cause notice dated April 25, 2017, has been issued to me to appear within 10 days regarding the relevancy of my experience prior to joining NAB in 2004. Since I have formally received the said show-cause notice, it is requested that a copy may be provided to me formally.”
“It will not be out of place to mention here that had I possessed about 14-year intensive experience of inquires and investigations prior to joining NAB in 2004 (experience certificates available with NAB). Moreover, I got first position in Sindh Public Service Commission as well as Federal Public Service Commission examinations in 1992. I was also awarded three gold medals by Mehran Engineering University, Jamshoro, for securing first position in civil engineering department, first position in the whole university and for being the best graduate of the varsity. In view of the above, it is requested that either the show-cause notice be withdrawn or kept pending till the completion of the JIT probe as I am fully occupied with my current assignment,” the reply concluded.