ISLAMABAD - Chairman National Accountability Bureau Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal on Tuesday said that the NAB received more than double complaints in 2019 so far as compared to the previous year in the same duration. This shows confidence of people in the working of national anti-graft body, he stated this while chairing a meeting to review operational methodology of the Bureau at the NAB Headquarters. He said that NAB’s operational methodology has proved excellent in nabbing corrupt across the board as per law. He said that NAB encourages genuine complainants who lodge complaints related to corruption and corruption practices on the basis of complete documents with that prima facie suggest commission of offences of corruption and corrupt practices.
According to NAB’s operational methodology, after receipt of application, complaint is scrutinised by complaint scrutiny committee and after due deliberation as per law, complaint verification is authorised in Regional Board/EBM as per entitlement. The complaint verification is conducted to ascertain genuineness and veracity of the contents of complaint by calling complainant who submits affidavit to that effect. Also CV is a mechanism provided by NAB’s operational methodology to ward off malicious and frivolous complaints by way of preliminary scrutiny so that prior to inquiry, it is ascertained that it would cause no undue harm to the alleged; all the complainants have to submit an undertaking that their complaint is not frivolous and undertaking signed by the complainant.
Subsequent to this, Complaint Verification conducted in two months process. In some cases, more time is granted on logical and legal grounds etc. After complaint verification, an Inquiry is authorised if complaint is allegedly found out to be genuine and worthy of probing it further on the basis of some incriminating evidence.
During the inquiry process, accused and complainant are called for recording of their statements in line with the alleged allegations and available evidence. Moreover, the accused is provided ample opportunity to defend alleged allegations of corruption and corrupt practices and provide complete documents in his defence. After this NAB further confronted accused with the documentary evidences of his alleged corruption and corrupt practices as per law and provide ample opportunity of defence and hearing so that no decision should be taken unheard as per law.
The inquiry process is completed in four months and in some cases, extension is granted on logical and legal grounds by the competent authority. After inquiry, if the case is allegedly found worthy of incriminating evidence as per law and is found to proceed ahead, inquiry is upgraded into investigation, which is also completed in four months. Again in some cases, extension is granted on logical and legal grounds etc. During the investigation process, complaint and incriminating solid evidence is further securitized, consolidated and deliberated in NAB’s Operation and Prosecution Divisions and investigation report complete in all respect including clear role of each accused in the offence, allegations and due to his misuse of authority/corruption and corrupt practices, how much loss has been caused to national exchequer is worked out and then presented in pre-Executive Board Meeting.
During the pre-EBM, further scrutiny is made of the documents, inquiry and investigation reports after thread bear discussion of NAB’s Operation and Prosecution Divisions and recommended for presentation in Executive Board Meeting which is higher consultative forum of NAB. The cases on the basis of incriminating solid evidence are finally presented in Executive Board of NAB for final authorisation for filing of corruption reference after investigation.
In EBM headed by Chairman NAB attended by Deputy Chairman NAB, PGA all concerned DGs, DG Operation, APGAs, concerned Directors, desk officers and other seniors officers of NAB discuss the cases in detail and on the basis of collective wisdom, accordingly Executive Board make decisions under the chairmanship of Honourable Justice Javed Iqbal Chairman NAB as per law.
He said that NAB has rationalised its workload and timelines have been prescribed for efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of cases putting a maximum limit of 10 months from complaint verification-to-inquiry-to investigation and finally to a reference in the Accountability Court. He said that NAB has also introduced Combine Investigation Team (CIT) system in order to benefit from the experience and collective wisdom of senior supervisory officers. This .is not only lending quality to the work but also ensuring that no single individual can influence the official proceedings of NAB. He said that NAB has established its first state of the art forensic science LAB which has facilities of Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents and Fingerprint Analysis. He said that NAB officers to redouble their efforts to eradicate corruption by adopting “Accountability for All” Policy across the board as per law as eradication of corruption is our national duty.