Mushtaq Raisani, Sohail Shah: cash, properties worth Rs 3.5 billion recovered: DG NAB

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered cash and properties, having approximate worth Rs 3.5 billion, from two persons found involved in Balochistan mega corruption case. Speaking at a press conference, Director General (Operation) NAB Zahir Shah Thursday said that the Bureau recovered cash and properties, having approximate worth Rs 3.5 billion, from Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani and Sohail Majeed Shah, contractor and front man of Khalid Langove, former advisor to Chief Minister Balochistan for Finance, under a plea bargain (PB) deal.
He said the Bureau had raided the residence of Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani in May this year, following a tip-off. Raisani was involved in embezzling billions of rupees from local government development funds. He said that during the raid, the NAB had recovered more than Rs 650 million cash from the residence of Balochistan finance secretary. The Bureau later arrested Raisani on the pointation of a person Saleem Shah who was also arrested by the NAB, he added.
The DG said that later NAB had also arrested other accused involved in the corruption scam including Sohail Majeed Shah, contractor and front man of Khalid Langove. Following the arrest of Raisani, Advisor to Chief Minister on Finance Khalid Langove resigned from his post. The NAB on May 25, 2016 arrested Langove in front of Balochistan High Court building.
He said that the two accused had submitted their request for plea bargain and both the accused had confessed their crime and are willing to return the amount got by them through corruption to the national exchequer. Following the plea bargain request, the NAB has collected all details of assets of the accused, he added. The NAB official said the NAB during the last Executive Board Meeting (EBM) accepted plea bargain request of over Rs 2 billion of Mushtaq Ahmad Raisani and Sohail Majeed Shah.
Shah said that Raisani has surrendered Rs 653 million in cash and 3.3 kilograms of gold, worth Rs 13.5 million approximately, to the NAB. Raisani has also surrendered two properties, worth Rs 60 million and Rs 70 million approximately, located in Quetta and DHA Karachi, he added.
He further said Riasani has surrendered assets of worth Rs 800 million, including two vehicles, Mercedes Benz and Toyota Grande worth Rs 8 million, and his 11 properties in DHA Karachi, having worth Rs 1.25 billion approximately. About other accused Sohail Majeed Shah, the DG NAB said the accused had agreed to return all the money that he passed onto others. He said that Shah has surrendered Rs 960 million, which went to his bank accounts.
The NAB official said that Sohail Shah has also surrendered some other properties.
Shah further said the Bureau will transfer the amount to the provincial government after the accountably court approves plea bargain. "The NAB will not keep a penny from the recovered amount," he added.
He said an investigation against Langove is in final stage and the NAB would soon file reference against him in the court. To a question that Raisani was facing corruption charges to the tune of Rs 40 billion, he said the NAB initiated an inquiry into illegal release of funds of local government department of Balochistan, which were released to municipal committees Khaliqabad and Mach, which fell in the constituency of Khalid Langove. The total funds of Balochistan local government department were approximately Rs 6 billion out of which Rs 3 billion were released for the municipal committee Muchh and Khaliqabad.
About drug price hike case involving drug companies, he said that six companies have submitted their applications for plea bargain. The NAB will recover Rs 1.11 million from the accused involved in the mega scam and has arrested eight accused including government officials, he added. To a question, he said that from 2012 to 2016, the Bureau has recovered Rs 6 billion through the PB and Rs 13 billion through voluntary return (VR). The total amount recovered during the period is Rs 45.37 billion, which also includes recovery in bank loan cases, he said.