The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) executive board meeting Wednesday closed the inquiry against Punjab Minister Rana Mashhood, giving him a clean chit despite his alleged involvement in Rs 20 billion scam.
A well-placed source in the authority told South Punjab News that the inquiry against the minister had been closed due to the lack of any ‘concrete evidence’ against the accused.
“The inquiry has been closed following the failure of NAB to find any conclusive evidence against the minister and other officials of Punjab Sports Ministry,” the source asserted.
Interestingly, an official handout issued by NAB headquarters did not mention any word about the closure of the inquiry, reflecting that the matter had been settled quietly, and people at large were being misled over the closure of the probe.
Following an emergence of a video involving Mashood in the year 2013-14, NAB had decided to probe the matter in December 2014, after the matter was taken up by media and the opposition parties under a sustained campaign. However, after the lapse of around two years and without any breakthrough in the case, the outgoing NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry gave approval to quietly dispose of the matter.
The NAB meeting also decided to initiate an inquiry into the role played by former deputy governor of State Bank of Pakistan Arshad Vohra into the scandal of the sale of KASB Bank to the Bank Islami for a mere price of one rupee.
The NAB source informed this scribe that the matter would be probed in detail, and a relevant record is being collected for a thorough probe. The NAB meeting also approved references against former Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) chairman Asif Akhtar Hashmi and former University of Peshawar vice chancellor Azam Hayat Khan.
The EBM decided to file a reference against Asif Hashmi and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for 777 illegal appointments in Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB); thus causing loss of Rs 774,730,403 to the national exchequer.
The second reference was approved against Azmat Hayat Khan and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for misuse of authority and purchase of land for the University of Peshawar at Aza Khel, Peshawar, at exorbitant rates; thus causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.
The Executive Board decided to authorise four investigations: the first investigation was authorised against IESCO CEO and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for an illegal investment made by IESCO with Trust Investment Bank Limited (TIBL); thus causing a loss of Rs 127 million to the national exchequer.
The second Investigation was authorised against officers/officials of Land Utilization Department and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for corruption, corrupt practices and misuse of authority, illegal regularisation/restoration of land allotment of M/s Zeeshan Builders; thus causing a loss of Rs 300 million to the national exchequer.
The third investigation was authorised against officials of State Bank of Pakistan and Bank Islami and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for misuse of authority, in terms of non-transparent amalgamation of KASB Bank into Bank Islami, as well as a grant of Rs 20 billion concessional loan for this purpose; thus causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer.
The fourth Investigation was authorised against Abdul Wali Khan University VC Dr Ihsan Ali; in this case, the accused persons were alleged for misuse of authority, embezzlement/misappropriation of university funds allocated for procurement of various items/goods. This resulted in a loss of Rs 410 million to the national exchequer.
The Executive Board (EB) decided to authorise three inquiries: the first inquiry was authorised against MPA from Sindh Nawab Muhammad Taimur Talpur. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for accumulations of assets beyond known sources of income.
The second inquiry was authorised against dealers of Indus Motor Company Limited at Hyderabad/Karachi. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for cheating public at large by misappropriating million of rupees from the general public in lieu of booking of Toyota vehicles. This resulted in a loss of Rs 250 million to the general public.
The third inquiry was authorised against officials of Punjab Sports Board into misappropriation of youth festival funds, causing a huge loss of millions of rupees to the general public.
The Executive Board decided to re-authorise three inquiries: the first inquiry was re-authorised against the management of KPT Officers Cooperative Housing Society and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for illegal reclamation of additional land from the seabed and its allotment, misappropriation of funds, award of the second contract of dredging and illegal occupation of land reclaimed from the sea. This resulted in a loss of Rs 12,269,792,500 to the national exchequer.
The second inquiry was re-authorised against officials of DAD, Sukkur division. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for massive corruption and misappropriation of funds; thus causing a loss of Rs 2.91 billion to the national exchequer.
The third inquiry was re-authorized against owners/managers of Creek Marina Project, Karachi. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for corruption and corrupt practices on account of cheating public at large; thus causing a loss of Rs 3.2 billion to the national exchequer.
The Executive Board decided to close six inquiries for lack of incriminating material/evidence, which included inquiry against former PM Raja Pervez Ashraf, management of Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation and others, officials of Provincial Highway Department Jhelum & others, MPA Muhammad Ali Malkani and others, Shafqat Shah Shirazi and Ejaz Shah Shirazi and others, Bashir Dawood and Mariyum Dawood and others.
At the end, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said that eradication of corruption is NAB’s top priority. He directed all officials of NAB to put their best efforts in the conduct of complaint verification, inquiries, and investigations against corrupt in accordance with law, transparency and merit.
