Islamabad- Absolutely alarmed by the non-cooperation of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, an accused in some cases involving embezzlement of billions of rupees, NAB on Monday issued last summon to the accused to appear before the investigators.
However another former PM Raja Pervez Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, former petroleum minister, appeared before the NAB investigators on Monday and recorded their statements here at NAB headquarter.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigators questioned them about the illegal appointment of former Ogra chairman Tauqeer Sadiq. Sadiq is wanted to the NAB over his alleged involvement in Rs 82 billion scam.
According to sources, Pervez Ashraf told NAB investigators that he was solely responsible for the appointment of Tauqeer Sadiq and was not being directed by President Zardari or then Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary General Jehangir Badar to do so.
Ashraf also told NAB investigators that he was falsely accused of issuing 200 licences to CNG stations as alleged in media reports. Sources said Raja Pervez Ashraf was not only quizzed by the investigators related to Tauqir’s appointment but also about illegal issuance of directives for opening hundreds of CNG stations. Raja submitted written statement before the investigation team on Monday and remained there for almost three hours. He told NAB officials that he had approved 68 CNG stations licences, which were already approved in 2010 by his predecessor. Last week former petroleum advisor Dr Asim Hussain reportedly blamed Raja for the approval of 200 CNG stations during the last days of the PPP government.
Raja Pervez Ashraf was chairman of the interview board that had appointed Tauqir Sadiq while Yusuf Raza Gilani was the prime minister at that time. NAB had told the Supreme Court in August last that the two former prime ministers were directly involved in the illegal appointment and federal secretaries Zafar Mehmood and Nargis Sethi were members of the interview board that approved the appointment of Tauqir. Sources in NAB said National Accountability Bureau has issued final notices to the former PM Gilani and other 17 accused in Rs 82 billion Ogra scam directing them to appear before the investigation team. An official source confirmed to The Nation that NAB deserves the right to act in accordance with its law in case the accused did not cooperate with the investigators this time too.
A senior officer of NAB while talking to The Nation said that Ogra scam was still a priority for the NAB investigators and was under investigation in the bureau. The bureau has already issued three notices to Gilani but the accused had chosen not to cooperate with the NAB that irked the investigators.
With the bureau currently working without chairman, the NAB has limited powers as the deputy chairman and other senior officials do not have authority to arrest any body according to National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.