The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs 7.023 billion of corruption money through plea bargain by July 1, 2005 and pleaded to rid the country of corruption. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, NAB spokesman Brigadier Nasir said chairman Transparency International has appreciated the reforms agenda of the present government.
"We should be proud of what Dr Peter Eigen told Prime Minister recently in a meeting," he said.
Pakistan last year was ranked at number 24 by the Transparency International among the countries where corruption was most common.
Brigadier Nasir said he hoped that after incorporating the efforts of NAB in their annual report, Pakistan's ranking would further improve.
"We are very satisfied with our performance and the recoveries alone speak of what we have achieved to end corruption from the country," he said.
"But there is always a room for improvement. There is always room to plug the holes so that corruption can be stopped. And we are determined to end corruption in the country."
He said Punjab Co-operative Liquidation Board (PCLB) has since 1992 paid the affectees of co-operative scam a sum of Rs 8.5 billion. The amount has been paid to 219125 affectees.
"Since 1999 when NAB ordinance was promulgated, we have recovered and paid 36725 victims a sum of Rs 4.48 billion."
Brigadier Nasir clarified that before NAB intervened, PCLB used to pay the co-operative affectees through government grant.
Referring to a newspaper article by PPP senator Farhatullah Babar in which he criticised the NAB and said if officials of the NAB spent Rs 13.3 million on foreign tours then "they also came back with a recovery of Rs 750 million."
"If we spent Rs 390 million on lawyers' fee then it must be mentioned that our direct and indirect recoveries have been nearly Rs 200 billion."
"Our lawyers are paid on monthly basis while the accused hire lawyers who charge upto five million rupees in fee," Brigadier Nasir added.
The senator is trying to raise the issues, which has no relevance and justification. "These issues cannot be revived."
Replying to a question that NAB annual budget has increased significantly as compared to last year, he said two wings of FIA, with strength of 753 posts, have been merged with NAB.
"Our total strength of posts has risen by 63 percent. We demanded a budget of Rs 878 million while the National Assembly approved Rs 752 million budget," he said.
Last year NAB budget was Rs 467 million.
Replying to a question if NAB's actions have resulted in reducing corruption in the country, Brigadier Nasir said that corruption at mega level has reduced significantly.
"In the beginning we were targeting big fish and recovered Rs 112 billion bank loans. Now what we are trying to do is to stop corruption at lower levels," he said.
About Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari's Swiss court case, he said the two have been given September 19 as last date by the judge to appear in person.
The spokesman also gave an update on a number of cases that are with NAB.
He said NAB would have to establish the criminality in Supreme Court registrar Farooqi's case in which the accused invested Rs 221 million, which belonged to CBR, in International Islamic Bank.
"We are progressing well and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan is co-operating well with us in this case."
He said Begum Salma Ahmed, a former MNA, was arrested by NAB for embezzlement of Rs 113 million. She has been released on bail and her case is in the court.
Brigadier Nasir said NAB expects to recover Rs 370 million in plea bargain from the managers of Askaria Town housing scheme out of the principal amount of Rs 490 million.
He said the housing scheme sold nearly 6,000 forms for plots at the rate of Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000 while it did not have the requisite land.
Brigadier Nasir said the cases of eight housing schemes in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were being `probed' while seven were under investigation by NAB.
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