NAB receives about 3,99,861 complaints since inception

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (APP):National Accountability Bureau
(NAB) Chairman Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal Tuesday said the bureau
has received about 3,99,861 complaints from individuals and
private/public organizations since its inception.
During this period, NAB authorized 13,180 complaint
verification, 8,587 inquiries, 4,124 investigations and filed
3,401 corruption references in respective accountability courts.
Chairing a meeting here at NAB headquarters, he said,
currently, 1,210 corruption references are under trial in
respective Accountability courts across the country.
The figures of complaints, inquiries and investigations are
almost doubled as compared to same period of 2017 to 2018. The
comparative figures for the latest one year are indicative of
hard work being put in by all ranks of NAB staff in an atmosphere
of renewed energy and dynamism, where fight against corruption
is being taken as a national duty.
Increase in the number of complaints also reflects
enhanced public trusted in the NAB, he added.
The Chairman said since inception, one of NAB’s major
achievements has been recovery of around Rs. 297 billion of
ill-gotten money which was deposited in national exchequer.
NAB’s operational methodology comprises of complaint
verification, inquiry and investigation. Starting from the year
2017 which can be called basically a year of reinvigoration,
we have moved with new zeal and effort.
He said corruption is mother of all evils as
it undermines economic development and deprives deserving
persons of their due right.
Justice Javed said Pakistan was committed to United Nations
Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in eradicating corruption
in all its manifestations by implementing its articles
through three pronged Anti Corruption Strategy of Awareness,
Prevention and Enforcement.
The Chairman said NAB’s prime focus is on cases of
cheating public at large by fraudulent financial companies, bank
frauds, willful bank loan defaults, misuse of authority and
embezzlement of state funds by government servants etc.
He said NAB has established its first Forensic
Science Lab (FSL) in Rawalpindi which has facilities of
Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents and Fingerprint
Analysis.
As per report of Transparency International (TI), Pakistan’s
ranking in Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has improved, adding
that Pakistan was considering role model in South Asian
countries in its efforts against corruption.
He said to create awareness against ill effects of
corruption among the youth, NAB has established over 50,000
Character Building Societies (CBSs) in universities/colleges.
The chairman said NAB intends to establish its own
Anti-Corruption Academy at Islamabad equipped with modern
technology, catering capacity building needs of investigation officers/prosecutors to investigate white collar crimes etc.