NAB spends billions on 50 mega corruption cases with zero recovery

ISLAMABAD: In the bustling realm of political intrigue and a high-stakes pursuit of justice, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) embarked on a labyrinthine journey, aiming to untangle the web of 50 mega-corruption cases that had ensnared political figures in its intricate threads. However, despite the much hullabaloo, the outcome has proven to be a tale of financial investment without commensurate returns. Like a determined chess player maneuvering through a complex board, the NAB spent billions of rupees in pursuing these case, yet the ultimate result was an unsettling zero in terms of recovery. This uphill battle, ostensibly pursued to replenish the national exchequer, instead stands as a testament to lost investments and incurred losses. The anti-corruption watchdog’s efforts, seem to have encountered a formidable adversary, leaving behind not a trail of recovered wealth but a trail of financial burdens on the very coffers it sought to fortify.

Over the past eight years, the NAB has spent approximately Rs6 billion for the investigation of 50 major corruption cases involving high-profile figures. According to Hum Investigation Team’s findings, during these eight years, the NAB spent a total of Rs27 billion, also involving other cases as well.

According to NAB’s documents, high-profile individuals implicated in these mega corruption cases were alleged to have collectively caused a loss of about Rs900 billion to the national treasury.

In the context of NAB’s new law, several significant cases have been decided against the bureau.

Notably, from 2017 until the acquittal of Nawaz Sharif, the NAB spent expenses exceeding Rs1 billion on the Panama case investigation.

Despite the collective efforts of NAB, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), a joint investigation team, foreign firms, and the Asset Recovery Unit, no major convictions were secured, and not a single rupee was recovered during these eight years.

In the 50 high-profile cases, 80 percent of the accused obtained bail, concluding their cases, while 5 per cent were acquitted. Additionally, NAB closed inquiries against 55 per cent of the major players.

Hum Investigation Team uncovered that the Ministry of Law disbursed Rs800 million over eight years for the salaries and operational expenses of 69 judges and staff across 24 accountability courts.

The Asset Recovery Unit incurred expenses totaling Rs170, as the NAB and the Asset Recovery Unit teams embarked on more than 41 foreign trips investigating the case.

Despite government expenditures exceeding Rs200 million on trips to the United States, the United Kingdom, the UAE, China, and Switzerland, the teams reported no substantial success.

Furthermore, the NAB received Rs2.23 billion from the government in the 2018-19 budget, followed by Rs4.24 billion in the 2019-20 budget. In the 2020-21 budget, the NAB obtained Rs5.08 billion, supplemented by an additional grant of Rs500 million. The government allocated Rs5.13 billion to NAB in the 2021-22 budget, and for the fiscal year 2022-23, the NAB received over Rs5 billion.

According to Hum Investigation Team’s findings, 95 percent of the accused spent 37 days in NAB custody on physical remand and an additional 130 days on judicial remand in jails. The collective remand duration amounted to 1,650 days, incurring expenses of Rs270 million to the national treasury. Notably, these high-profile individuals collectively experienced 5,900 days of incarceration in various jails since 2018.

The detainees faced an estimated expenditure of around Rs300 million for their time spent in jails and court appearances. These financial details have been gleaned from information provided by NAB, jail administrations, courts, and the police department.

The NAB investigated cases against over 250 current and former members of parliament since 2017. In pursuing 513 references, investigations, inquiries, and complaints, the NAB focused on individuals responsible for a loss of Rs700 billion to the national exchequer.

The NAB chairman appointed 12 officers and 26 sporting staff to a dedicated special cell to pursue these case. The allocation of salaries for the special cell officers and sporting staff amounted to Rs80 million. Furthermore, two joint investigation teams were formed at one point, incurring costs of Rs20 million. Approximately Rs70 million were spent on the prosecution teams, as well as on the NAB intelligence wing and the operational wing, especially in the UK.

Additionally, around Rs10 million was allocated for acquiring information from the UAE. To scrutinize fake transactions, the NAB utilized its forensic lab, incurring an expenditure of Rs20 million.

Who remained in NAB custody, and for how long?

Asif Ali Zardari spent 68 days in jail and NAB custody from June 9, 2019, to December 11, 2019, in the alleged fake accounts case. Faryal Talpur, the sister of the former president, spent 56 days in NAB custody and an additional 113 days in jail, eventually being released on bail on December 17, 2019. Both were implicated in the alleged fake accounts case, amounting to Rs54 billion.

The joint investigation team invested a substantial Rs80 million in this case, forwarded to NAB by the Supreme Court in 2017.

Shehbaz Sharif faced a total of 293 days in NAB custody and jail during the years 2018-19 and 2020-21. Hamza Shehbaz surpassed this, enduring 697 days in jail and NAB custody from June 2019 to February 2021. The cases against the Shehbaz Sharif family, involving assets exceeding income, Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, Chaudhry Sugar Mills, and money laundering, amounted to Rs25 billion. Throughout this period, 13 officials from NAB, FIA, and ARU made four visits to Britain to gather information, incurring expenses of over Rs30 million for these visits.

The NAB appointed 15 investigation officers in the cases against the Shehbaz Sharif family, along with a prosecutor, special prosecutor, involving an expenditure of approximately Rs140 million. Additionally, Rs30 million were allocated for special security forces, bulletproof vehicles, and fuel for the appearances of Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz. Notably, over Rs250 million were spent on cases involving Babar Awan, Qamarul Islam, Mir Shakeelur Rehman, Tayyaba Farooq, and others.

Raja Pervez Ashraf, Babar Awan, Qamarul Islam, Mir Shakeelur Rehman, and Tayyaba Farooq emerged unscathed in NAB cases. The NAB spent Rs320 in over three dozen high-profile cases, all of which concluded after inquiries and investigations. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman has endured over 100 days in jail.

In the disproportionate assets case against Khawaja Asif, the NAB spent over Rs30 million, leading to his detention for 179 days from December 29, 2020, to June 23, 2021.

NAB exonerates Ahad Cheema in assets beyond income case

A substantial Rs70 million were spent on the cases involving Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Khawaja Salman Rafiq, with the Khawaja brothers spending a cumulative 404 days in NAB custody and jail from February 2, 2019, to March 17, 2020.

Maryam Nawaz faced 47 days in NAB custody and an additional 39 days in jail concerning Chaudhry Sugar Mills and the Panama case. NAB’s expenditure in the case against Maryam Nawaz amounted to approximately Rs30 million.

The NAB spent Rs35 million in investigating a case against former Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, while PPP leader Sharjeel Memon spent 545 days in jail for an alleged corruption case, costing NAB Rs160 million.

Former Petroleum Minister Asim Hussain, entangled in NAB cases, spent 470 days in NAB custody and jail, resulting in substantial costs over the last four years.

In the case against Syed Khurshid Shah, the NAB spent over Rs100 million, with Shah remaining in NAB custody and jail for an extensive 763 days.

NAB’s expenditure in the case against PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal reached Rs35 million, as he spent 64 days in NAB custody and jail. The case against IPP leader Aleem Khan incurred an expenditure of Rs70 million, with Aleem Khan remaining in NAB custody and jail from February 6, 2019, to May 15, 2019.

For the cases involving bureaucrats Fawad Hasan Fawad and Ahad Cheema, NAB spent over Rs69 million. Fawad Hasan Fawad endured 586 days in NAB custody and jail, while Ahad Cheema spent 616 days in a similar predicament.