The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has so far recovered Rs 13 billion from different accused in the multi-billion fake bank accounts case involving former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and others.

"Out of Rs 71 billion recovered by the NAB during last 23 months (August 2017 to September 2019) in different cases, Rs 13 billion have been recovered from the suspects of different references filed by the Bureau with respect to fake bank accounts scam in the Accountability Courts," a senior NAB official said.

He said that the other seven accused in the same scam returned 263 acres of land worth Rs 10.66 billion. The bureau has returned the land to Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM). Another accused Muhammad Tauseef has become an approver and returned Rs 420 million in cash, he said.

The official said that the NAB has arrested 39 suspects and placed the names of 41 accused on exit control list (ECL) in fake bank accounts scam. NAB has authorized 21 inquiries, 12 investigations and filed seven references with respect to fake bank accounts scam, he said.

He said that the NAB has nominated former president Zardari directly in two references including mega money laundering and Park Lane case. The suspects who signed plea bargain deal with the bureau in fake bank accounts case include businessmen and government officials, he said.

The official said that another six of Roshan Sindh scam showed a willingness to deposit Rs 75 million under plea bargain. About former finance minister Ishaq Dar case, he said that the bureau has handed over Rs 500 million from Dar's bank account to Punjab government' a 4-Kanal house owned by Dar has also been handed over to Punjab government and the amount from its sale would be deposited in national exchequer, he said. He said that the NAB has filed 600 corruption references in Accountability Courts in the last 23 months - 105 mega corruption references out of a total of 179 mega corruption cases.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019