Money-laundering charges: NAB initiates probe against Sharifs

FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated investigation into allegations levelled by Interior Minister Rehman Malik against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership regarding $ 32 million money laundering.

“The reference against the Sharif brothers was sent by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and it will be decided on merit,” said spokesman for NAB Zafar Iqbal Khan while addressing a press conference at NAB headquarters here on Thursday.

To a question about the reports that President Zardari has directed the NAB chairman to initiate an inquiry against the Sharif brothers and reopen cases against them, he said that the President had only directed the Chairman NAB to ensure that there should be no political victimisation.

Malik had earlier claimed that he had evidence against the PML-N leaders’ involvement in $ 32 million money laundering.

Zafar said that the NAB had so far recovered Rs 2.012 billion from Rental Power Plants (RPPs) on the directives of Supreme Court (SC) and added that of Rs. 2.012 billion, an amount of Rs 109 million had been recovered from Pakistan Power House and Walter International, Rs 546 million from Techno Engineering, Rs 50 million from Young Generation, Rs 225 million from Gulf company and Rs 100 million from Reshma company. The NAB had recorded the statements of Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shaukat Tareen and Liaquat Jatoi but no money had been recovered from them, he said.

He said that the Interior Ministry had yet not put the names of ministers involved in RPPs case on Exit Control List (ECL) despite request of NAB.

Responding to a question, he said that nobody had been given clean chit in the case rather NAB was in the process of recovery from the RPPs. He said that Raja Parvez Ashraf‚ Shaukat Tareen and Liaquat Jatoi would be summoned again if needed.

The NAB spokesman said that the probe against federal minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and former ministers Liaquat Jatoi and Shaukat Tareen was underway over corruption charges in rental power scam.

He said that NAB had no role in writing a letter to Swiss authorities and there was clear judgment of the SC on the matter.

The NAB spokesman said that NAB had arrested member OGRA, Mansoor Zafar in gas prices scandal and issued arrest warrant against former Chairman OGRA, Tauqeer Sadiq and would soon arrest him.

Zafar said that an army team was questioning generals allegedly involved in NLC corruption reference and the NAB was in contact with the military’s investigation team.

He said that NAB had not given approval to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for ‘LED’ street light project and added that NAB had identified deficiencies in the project after reviewing the CDA’s record related to the project.