The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is yet to complete investigations into some high profile corruption scams involving influential politicians and bureaucrats pending for the last several years, it is learnt. An official source told Business Recorder that investigations into major corruption cases, including Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)‚ Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI)‚ New Islamabad Airport and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) are facing inordinate delays as the agency is not actively pursuing these cases due to political interference.
"These cases involve senior leadership of the PPP and FIA may have been instructed not to pursue these cases from a government seeking support from the opposition in parliament when it is facing considerable political pressure from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)," the official stated. Another senior FIA official, on condition of anonymity, told this correspondent that investigations of mega scams are underway and some of them are at a final stage. However, he declined to comment when asked why there was a delay in pursuing some cases.
Source said the FIA's investigation of TDAP's multi-billion trade subsidy scam is moving but at a snail's pace for the last few months in which former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and former Commerce Minister Amin Fahim are implicated. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had referred the TDAP corruption case - estimated to have cost the treasury Rs 1.27 billion to FIA - for investigation, he said.
Source further added that FIA has also completed investigations into the Rs 40 billion EOBI scam, which was uncovered in 2012. The then EOBI management had made investments in DHA scheme and purchased Crowne Plaza in Islamabad at twice the market price. The EOBI management purchased two 4,300cc Prado cars for personal use of EOBI officers as well as two controversial plots in Sukkur, and purchased seven plots from the CDA. FIA arrested Zafar Gondal, the former chairman of the EOBI, for alleged violation of investment rules of EOBI in the purchase of lands in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi at exorbitant rates. Source said that the agency has also not made any significant progress in the investigation into the causes of delay in the completion of new airport and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) scams.
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