NAB authorizes 16 inquiries, two investigations against corruption suspects

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday authorized conducting 16 inquiries and investigation against former provincial food minister, Sindh Nisar Ahmed Khoro and inquiry against front man of former federal minister Babar Ghori on charges of corruption and causing losses to national exchequer. Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal authorised conducting corruption reference against Muhammad Ramazan Sehato and others on the allegations of some 95 illegal recruitment in Education and Literacy Department Naushero Feroze, Sindh by abusing the authority, which caused Rs 160 million losses to the national exchequer. The EBM okayed conducting a total of 16 inquiries against various personalities including Ghulam Martaza Jatoi, former minister and others; Officers/officials of Sports, Works Department and others; Haji Khan Umrani, Abdul Jabbar Yousafzai and others; Khuda Bakhsh Nizamani, former member National Assembly; Khuda Bakhsh Rajar, former federal minister and others; officers/officials of Board of Revenue, Malir, Karachi and others; subsidy to 19 Sugar Mills (Mirpur Khas,Thatta, Khairpur, Sajawal and others), Peetam Das, Superintendent Engineer; officers/officials and others; Bagharari Gaesh Circle, Kotri Barrage, Hyderabad Region; officers/officials of Department of Law, Government of Sindh; Sohail Mansoor, Rehan Mansoor Khawaja, (alleged frontman of Babar Ghori former federal minister) and others; Hassan Ali Sharif, private person ( alleged frontman of Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Waheed Sheikh, Deputy Director Excise and Taxation Department, Sindh) and others; Sadia Fatima Sikandar, Usman Sikandar, Iram Fatima Sikandar, Khalilur Rehman and others;officers/officials of Revenue Department, Gothabad Scheme, Malir, Karachi; Management of Larkana Model Town Housing Scheme and Gulshan Mustafa Scheme and others; officers/officials of Mineral Department and Revenue department Sindh and others; consultants AA Associates; Messarrs Sardar Ashraf D Baloch, Contractor, Yousaf Ali; former member of construction company; Mukesh Kumar, General Manager Sindh South, NHA ,Sukkur and the forum authorized conducting inquiries against Ayaz Memon, former Project Director, Riaz Ahmed Sehato, Project Director Finance Section, NHA. EBM of NAB also authorized conducting two investigations against various personalities including Nisar Ahmed Khoro, former Provincial Minister for Food, Sindh; officers/officials of Sindh Food Department; and others; while investigations were also okayed against Syed Muzammil Shah, Executive Engineer, Provincial Highway Division, Sukkur and others. EBM authorized transferring the inquiries against Munir Ahmed, Naeem Khan, Sanam and Sindh Development Organisation and others to the Interior Ministry and National Insurance Company, Limited and against others to FIA for further proceedings. The EBM authorized closing the ongoing inquiries against Abdul Jabbar Shahani, Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Site, Karachi and others owing to absence of evidence. The forum also authorized closing investigations against Abul Karkim Soomro, MPA, Sindh and others; officers and officials of Civil Aviation Authority; JS Bank and others, owners of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Sugar Mills and directors due to non availability of any evidence. Speaking on the occasion NAB Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal said the bureau is striving hard to take the mega corruption cases specially sugar, Flour, money laundering, fake accounts, abuse of authority, assets beyond means, illegal housing societies and Modaraba scam to logical conclusion. The anti graft watchdog has recovered a record Rs 323 billion directly and indirectly during the year 2020. Since inception the bureau has recovered a record Rs 814 billion from corrupt elements (directly or indirectly). Deputy Chairman, Hussain Asghar, Prosecutor General Accountability Syed Hussain Asghar, Director General, Accountability Zahir Shah, Director General Operations and other senior officers attended the meeting.