LAHORE - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore, filed a total of 74 corruption references involving Rs 20 billion in accountability courts during 2018.
They include Avenfield case reference; reference against Ishaq Dar in assets beyond known sources of income case; reference in Ashiyana-i-Iqbal corruption case; Saaf Pani Company Corruption case reference; Lahore Parking Company Case reference; reference against former chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Asif Akhtar Hashmi; reference against former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) accused Ikram Naveed in Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC) case; reference against CEO Punjab Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) accused Khalid Mehmood Chadda; reference against Administration of Homeland Read Estate and Reference against accused Ahad Khan Cheema in assets beyond known sources of Income case.
A NAB spokesman while releasing the performance report of the anti-corruption watchdog’s regional office claimed that conviction rate of NAB Lahore remained about 75 percent during 2018.
During the outgoing year, NAB Lahore officials got arrested 215 accused in different corruption scams including former Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif; MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique; MPA Khawaja Salman Rafique; accused Qaisar Ameen Butt; former MPA Hafiz Mian Muhammad Noman; former Senator Ammar Gulzar, Princial Secretary to former PM accused Fawad Hasan Fawad and accused Ahad Khan Cheema.
The other arrested include SSP Rai Ejaz in Gujraat DPOs Case of financial embezzlement, whereas, Inquiries are underway against Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain; Chaudhry Pervez Elahi; Chaudhry Monis Elahi; Abdul Aleem Khan, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Suleman Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah in different scams, which would be concluded in near future.
During 2018, NAB Lahore recovered Rs4billion (approx) from corrupt elements, whereas, Rs 1.2bn has been submitted into government’s kitty or distributed among affectees of different scams.
While talking about mega recovery cases, the spokesman said that an amount of Rs 2.220 billion has only been recovered in Ferozepur Housing Society case. Moreover, recovered Rs 620million has been distributed among 696 affectees of Model Housing Enclave, likewise, Rs 360M has been distributed among 450 affectees of Elite Town Case during fiscal 2018, recovery of Millions of rupees in 56 Companies Case is still underway.
The NAB Lahore has handed over Possession Letters worth Rs 4.5 Billion to the affectees of Khayaban-i-Ameen Housing Society case. Another big indirect recovery of Rs 830.80 Million was made in National Bank, Lahore Branch case.
Compared to last year, the NAB Lahore received double number of “complaints” against different government offices and private sector regarding financial embezzlement and alleged mis-use of authority.
The number of complaints exceeded 10,094 while a a large number of complaints was also received during “open courts” held by DG NAB Lahore.
Around 9,207 complaints have been disposed of till date, whereas, 312 Complaint Verifications (CVs) were authorized during the year 2018, of which 253 CVs have been disposed of, till today by keeping in view the deadline of two months for completion of any CV laid by Chairman NAB.
NAB Lahore authorized 207 Inquiries during 2018 from which 107 have been completed, yet, 36 Inquiries were transferred to ‘Investigations’ and by clearing the backlog, NAB Lahore officials cleared 44 Investigations within the year 2018.
