The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday authorised fresh investigation against former Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf and others for alleged corruption in award of contract for 62 MW Rental Power Projects (RPP), Gujranwala.
An official said the decision to initiate probe afresh against former Prime Minister and ex-Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ahshraf, former Secretary, Water & Power and five others for alleged corruption and misuse of authority in the award of 62 MW RPP contract to M/s Gulf Rental Power Eminabad, Gujranwala, causing a loss of Rs. 493.85 million to national exchequer, was taken up in NAB Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by chairman of the bureau Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.
He said the other five included Fayyaz Ellahi, the then Managing Director (MD), Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), N. A. Zubairi, the then Executive Director (ED), PPIB (present MS PPIB), Fazal Ahmed Khan, the then MD Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (GENCO-III) Ghulam Mustafa Tunio. He said that NAB has already filed references against former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the RRPs and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) scams in the accountability court which are still pending in the court.
Official said that in light of ADB's audit report, the Supreme Court declared on March 30, 2012 that the RPPs contracts were not transparent and directed the NAB to take a legal action against those involved in RPPs scam, including Raja Pervez Asharaf. He said that Raja Pervez Ashraf had been accused of receiving kickbacks and commission in RPP deals when he was federal minister for water and power in 2008. He said that the EMB has also decided to file a corruption reference as well as authorised another investigation and seven inquiries. The bureau also approved investigation against officers/officials including Imdadullah, Arif Ismail and Muhammad Ali on charges of alleged embezzlement of Rs. 12 million funds from various bank accounts of Institute of Chemical Sciences (ICS).
He further said that NAB has decided to file corruption references against Nadeem Hameed Sheikh, CEO/Director Natover Lease & Refinance Ltd. (NLRL)/ Chairman/Director Natover International (Pvt) Ltd.(NIPL) and Rashid Nadeem Sheikh, CEO/ Director M/s Orion IPL. In this case the accused allegedly raised deposits from general public in a fraudulent manner and misappropriated an amount of Rs 707.51 million.
According to the NAB spokesman, the EBM approved seven inquiries. The bureau authorised an inquiry against officers/officials of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) regarding Irregular Award of Elevator & Platform Sliding Door (PSD) Metro Bus Project Rawalpindi/Islamabad to Mesi Enterprises.
Second inquiry was authorised against officer and officials of BOR, CBCK, Sindh Government and others against illegal allotment of 06 Acres of land in Deh Dih Na Class 24, issued Survey No. 476. In this case the accused persons were accused of giving fake allotment of 6 acres of land in Deh Dih Na Class 24, on the basis of tempered documents, and illegal conversion of land from Industrial to Industrial/Residential without approval of the competent authority.
Third inquiry was authorised against officers/officials of Local government & Rural Development Department (LG&RDD), KPK and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged of corruption by rejecting the eligible contractors during technical evaluation and awarding the contract to a blue-eyed contractor at highly exorbitant rates and causing a huge loss to state exchequer.
The fourth inquiry was authorised against Ameer Hamza Masood, Commandant Frontier Reserve Police. In this case, the suspect is accused of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income. The sixth inquiry was authorised against Muhammad Saleem Awan, Secretary, Food Balochistan & Others to allegedly awarding the contract of transportation/dispatching of government wheat procured in Naseerabad Division during 2014 without tender, sans following standard procedures and misuse of authority. The seventh inquiry was authorised against M/S ASI Traders - SBP reference under Section 31-D of NAO, loan default principal amount Rs 9.553 million, Ref amount 14.783 million.
The fifth inquiry was authorised against officers/officials of National Bank of Pakistan Bangladesh Branch and others. In this case, the Officers and Staff posted at the four branches of NBP Bangladesh got involved in the abuse of discretionary powers in processing and sanctioning credit beyond limits, failed to perform due diligence, wilfully avoided to conduct proper valuation of securities offered by the borrower causing a huge loss to national exchequer to the tune of US$ 170 Million.
The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) has also decided to re-authorise two inquiries. First against Mehboob Alam, Chief Executive GEPCO (BS-20) and others whereas second inquiry re-authorised against officers/officials of PDMA, Toyota Zarghoon Motors and others.