QUETTA: Defending the controversial plea-bargain with main accused of Balochistan mega corruption scam, Balochistan ex-finance secretary Mushtaq Raisani, the NAB says it was the ‘only speediest option’ to recover the looted public money.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Balochistan Director General Major (r) Tariq Mehmood Malik on Friday lauded the bureau for recovering approximately Rs3 billion against Rs2.24 billion pilfered in largest corruption scam of Balochistan.

The accountability bureau is receiving much flak for accepting plea bargain request from Raisani and another accused - contractor Sohail Majeed Shah.

Under this controversial law a financial criminal can save himself from landing in jail by returning the looted money, though he has to face other lesser punishments.

The law, introduced in 1999, has been strongly criticised by civil society as it has contributed to increase in corruption in the country. The Supreme Court has also condemned this law because of its implications. Hearing another corruption case in Sindh on Friday, the apex court bench called for reviewing this law.

In his effort to sell plea bargain with the two aforesaid accused as an achievement, the DG said, “NAB has made history by recovering Rs3 billion.” The decision of plea bargaining, he said, was taken with an aim to bring back all pillaged money from the corrupt elements.

However, the case did not close after plea bargaining with Raisani and Shah, he said, adding a reference would be filed in Accountability Court against all the accused involved in the mega corruption, including former Finance Adviser Khalid Langov.

Refuting media reports about the volume of amount involved in the mega corruption case, Tariq Malik said that an amount of Rs6 billion was allocated in budget for the year 2015-16 as grant-in-aid to the local councils for salary, non-salary and development of local councils.

The main reason for approval of plea bargain request was that it was the speediest way of getting back the embezzled public money to make it available to Balochistan government for current financial year, he said, adding that it would further strengthen case against the remaining accused.

Tariq Malik said that during inquiry the accused applied for ‘Voluntary Return’ which was rejected by NAB; nonetheless, NAB collected irrefutable evidence against the accused in the case. Later NAB accepted the plea bargain request of Mustaq Raisani and Sohail Shah after they admitted their crime.

He said the accused, after concluding final plea bargaining and its approval by the accountability court, would not hold public offices and they would not be able to get loan from banks and apply for contracts for ten years, besides being barred from contesting polls for next ten years.

JUDICIAL REMAND OF LANGOV, RAISANI EXTENDED

The Accountability Court on Friday extended the judicial remand of Khalid Langov and Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani in Balochistan mega corruption scam till January 4th.

As hearing proceeded, the Accountability Court Quetta-1 Judge Abdul Majeed Nasar reserved for extending the judicial remand of ex-adviser to CM for finance and former-secretary finance Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani for 12 days - till January 4.

Mushtaq Raisani and Suhail Majeed, the main accused in the mega corruption scandal, appeared before the Accountability Court while lawyer of Khalid Langov presented medical report of his client before the court with a plea that his client could not appear due to his illness.