SC seeks report on status of inquiry against ex-army officials

recordre report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought by August 10 a detailed report from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on current status of inquiry against retired army officials working for National Logistic Cell (NLC) who allegedly invested four billion rupees in portfolio investment without any authority.

Resuming the hearing of a matter regarding the NAB progress to dig out 150 mega corruption scams of three categories – financial, land grabbing and misuse of power – a two-member bench of Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Dost Muhammad Khan turned down the plea of Additional Prosecutor General (APG) of the Bureau for conducting in-camera proceedings.

Earlier, the top anti-graft body had submitted details of 150 mega corruption scams in pursuance of apex court directives whereas on July 27 the Bureau submitted an additional list of 29 mega corruption cases divided into three categories.

Through an additional list of financial irregularities, the Bureau’ Director General Operations informed the apex court on July 28 that Public Accounts Committee (PAC) filed a complaint against Lt-Gen Khalid Munir Khan (tetd), ex-OIC of the National Logistic Cell (NLC), Lt-Gen Muhammad Afzal Muzaffar (retd), ex-OIC, NLC, Najeebullah Khan, ex-DF & A NLC and Saeedur Rehman, ex-CFO of the NLC for making unauthorised investment of four billion rupees in stock exchange.

The NAB has further said that the current status of the inquiry in the matter was pending due to zero response from the NLC and GHQ since January 2012 despite repeated reminders.

During the course of proceedings, APG Akbar Tarrar apprised the bench that the then Prosecutor General NAB, KK Agha, visited the concerned branch of the NLC to seek information about the inquiry pending since 2012 against the ex-army officials of the NLC but he didn’t get any response.

To which, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan remarked that a few organisations were exempted from sharing information, saying the NLC does not fall under the jurisdiction so the NAB can freeze its account in case the NLC fails to extend cooperation in the current matter.

Justice Khan said that the NAB should exercise its powers to apprehend the people by putting the accused persons’ names on the Exit Control List (ECL).

The bench expressed reservations over an additional list of 29 mega corruption cases and asked the APG why these 29 cases were not submitted along with the earlier 150 mega corruption cases. Bureau’s law officer replied that additional details were submitted to the apex court soon after receiving the reports from concerned regions.

The hearing of the matter was adjourned till August 10.