By Faiz Paracha
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs. 821. 573 billion directly and indirectly since its inception till September 2021.
In a statement issued to the media, the bureau clarified the controversy generated after the finance ministry said that it had only received Rs. 6.458b billion out of the total Rs. 821.573 billion.
The statement gives details of direct and indirect recoveries made by the bureau till September 2021.
According to the statement, the indirect recovery amounting to Rs. 500.65 billion had directly been handed over to the quarters concerned including the owners, claimants and entities by the bureau.
Some other recoveries include bank loan defaults and funds of financial institutions such as Punjab Cooperative Board for Liquidation (Punjab Cooperative Board Limited (PCBL), amounting to Rs. 198 billion.
According to NAB, recoveries of fines amounting to Rs. 45.915 billion imposed by various accountability courts were recovered under relevant provisions of law.
The option of voluntary return and plea bargain were availed by the accused persons during the course of inquiries and investigations.
The recoveries under the subject provisions were in cash and kind. However, the Supreme Court had ordered not to exercise the option of voluntary return vide petition no 17/2016, says the NAB clarification.
The amount of voluntary return and plea bargain is Rs. 54.902 billion in cash and the rest of the recoveries are in kind. Moreover, Rs 36.22 billion has already been disbursed to the respective federal, provincial governments and concerned departments as per the law.
It is worth mentioning here, that Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal while chairing a performance meeting of NAB in October 2021 announced that NAB recovered Rs. 539 billion in last 4 years, without mentioning where those recoveries were deposited.
During last week’s meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, the finance ministry expressed surprise over the huge gap in the claims by NAB and actual funds received by the national treasury.
