The national anti-graft authorities had established Special Operation Wing for curbing lower level corruption in the country. The new wing had also been granted special powers like powers of trap, raid and search.
This was disclosed by Acting Director General NWFP chapter of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Brig: Musadiq Abbasi while addressing a press conference in connection with World Anti-Corruption Day, being observed on December 9 here on Monday. The Special Wing comprising inspection team and Action Squad had already started operation from August 1, 2006," the NAB official added.
The NWFP government, he said had taken lead from other provinces by deciding to observe the whole week from November 4 to 9, as anti-corruption week with slogan of "we can stop corruption together". Secretary establishment, NWFP, Mian Sahib Jan and provincial secretary for higher education Tariq Jamil, besides other officials were also present on this occasion.
Brigadier Musadiq Abbasi disclosed that the wing had been empower to check the quality of the material being used in all the ongoing development projects in the province. The wing would also check the accounts of certain projects' funds, accounts of any government department, its performance, suspected corruption in it and delay in projects and its causes, besides arresting accused of irregularities and bringing them in the court of land.
In response to a proposal, Abbasi announced that the NAB Frontier would set up complaint desks at city district government office during this week, where the NAB officials would receive complaints against district government officials or about any petty corruption cases from the public.
The NAB official said that the anti-graft organisation had so far recovered Rs 147 billions from top political leaders and civil servants and now the turn has come to lay hand on corrupt people active at lower to bring them to justice besides the big ones. He said that the NAB had distributed Rs 180 million among the affectees of Forex Exchange Company, while more cheques would be handed over to the victims.
He said that that the NWFP government in collaboration with NAB Frontier would observe this week as anti-corruption week for creating awareness among the public about corruption. He said in this connection a declamation contest and talk show would be held at Institute of Commerce & Management Sciences (ICMS) today and at Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) on December 6. Similarly, he said that the City District Government Peshawar would arrange a walk on December 7 and a seminar and sequel distribution ceremony would be held on December 8, besides distribution of pamphlets.
He said that similar activities would be arranged at district level in schools and colleges, besides tribal areas by FATA secretariat. He urged the media men to create awareness among the masses about the menace of corruption. Earlier secretary establishment Mian Sahib Jan said that the Federal government would observe December 9 as anti-corruption day, but the NWFP government had decided to observe the whole week to create awareness among the masses about corruption and graft.