NAB received 13,722 complaints during 2006: spokesman

Keeping in view the objective to serve public and root out the menace of corruption, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) received 13,722 complaints during the year 2006 making a total of 17,027 complaints including the backlog.
According to the official sources, outs of these 14,255 (83.5perent) complaints were processed and remaining are under process. As many as 3383 complaints were received to NAB Punjab, 677 to NAB Headquarters, 4506 to Sindh, 2433 to NWFP, 616 to Balochistan and 2107 to Rawalpindi.
A complaint is converted into inquiry after its verification. High priority is given to the cases involving interest of the public at large and where corruption in excess of Rs100 million is detected.
During the year 2006, 728 fresh inquires were authorised by the NAB, thus raising the figure to 1882 (including the backlog).
Out of this number, 890 (47percent) were finalised leading to the closure and formal investigation of cases whereas 992 (53percent) inquires are still under process.
The investigation stage plays an important role in the accountability process by setting a pace for prosecution. During the year 2006, NAB authorised 292 new investigations, thus making a total of 701 investigations including the backlog.
Out of this number, 241 (34.4percent) investigations were finalised while remaining 460 (65.6percent) are under progress.
There have been 75 cases of Plea Bargain and voluntary return during the year 2006 as a result of which an amount of Rs1398.064 million has been agreed for payment by the accused, out of which Rs930.658 million have already been recovered.
The sources said that NAB has placed 184 accused persons on Exit Control List (ECL) through Ministry of Interior during 2006 putting the number of total persons on ECL as on December 31, 2006 to 654.
NAB has issued warrants of 165 accused persons during the year under review out of which 123 were arrested while other 42 accused are still at large. Combined with the number of persons at large of the previous years, the total comes to 345.
During the year 2006, NAB filed 188 references in the Accountability Courts, making a total of 478 cases including the cases already pending in the Trial Courts.
Recently focusing on mega cases of corruption and misappropriation of money sans any projection, National Accountability Bureau made accumulated recoveries of Rs114.870 billion in Bank loan default, Rs21.092 billion in VR and PB, Rs9.210 billion in indirect recoveries, Rs60.470 billion in rescheduling and restructuring o bank loans and Rs11.530 billion in court fines.