Training of investigation officers top priority: Chairman NAB

ISLAMABAD, Sept 11 (APP): Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry Monday said training of investigation officers was the top priority of NAB.
He made these remarks while addressing as chief guest at a ceremony, organized by NAB at Police Training College Sihala to congratulate all the newly inducted officers of NAB on becoming a part of prestigious apex anti-corruption organization of NAB, according to a press release.
“It is a matter of great pleasure for me to congratulate you
all at the graduation ceremony after completion of Training Session
for the Eighth Investigator’s Basic Induction Course-(IBIC)-VIII
conducted at Police Training College Sihala,” he added.
He said, “you should be pleased on your selection as it is
purely done on merit on the basis of hard work and diligence which
has pulled you through to this level. It was a very competitive
process.”
To maintain transparency and fair-play, the selection process
was outsourced to the National Testing Service (NTS) which conducted
academic as well as psychological tests. In all 94,165 applications
were received in response to advertisement. 80,377 candidates were shortlisted for 97 posts.
It was a gigantic task to select the best out of best huge
lot. “I am very happy to say that not one sifarish or aberration
has occurred in the entire process. NAB as an organization has its
motto Say NO to Corruption.”
“We cannot afford the slightest indication of any
subjectivity. I firmly believe that only those who were selected on
merit will be able to do Justice to the job that they are assigned.
This has been the hallmark of our work and it shall continue in
future as well.”
He said NAB was assigned the important national duty of
eradication of corruption in all its forms and manifestations.
The menace of corruption has links to a multitude of vices.
It led to injustice, mistrust and suspicion. Corruption in
government spending has a negative impact on development programmes
and results in perpetual increase in cost of creation and
maintenance of public assets. The particular deadliness of the
disease lies in its self-perpetuation, he added.
Any corrupt act or practice sets in motion a vicious cycle in
which the impact of corruption becomes the source for further acts
of corruption. “Our motherland is confronted with the Albatross of
Corruption which is eating into our precious national resources.”
He said that NAB is essentially a complaint driven
organization.
An exhaustive system of cognizance of cases has been
formulated to standardize the selection of cases for processing.
Priority is assigned keeping in view the case nature, the amount
of money involved, the social impact and number of affectees.
He said NAB personnel follow a strict code of ethics and
conduct, a zero tolerance against corruption is strictly
enforced.
NAB’s perpetual methodology is designed on a comprehensive
three-pronged approach encompassing prevention, awareness and
enforcement under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO),
1999.
Since its creation, NAB has adopted the enforcement based
approach in the fight against corruption, he added.
He said irrespective of their status and social standing,
NAB has investigated and prosecuted the corrupt. NAB accords high
priority to cases of cheating public at large which is a serious
offence under NAO.
Many financial scams involving plundering hard earned income
and savings of people at large have been pursued by NAB, with the
goal to recover the looted money and return the same to the rightful
owners.
Double Shah scam, Cooperative Societies Scam, Fake Housing
Authorities Scam and Modarabas are only a few to be named.
NAB has undertaken concerted efforts to prosecute the
masterminds of such public frauds.
The overall results of the enforcement drive have been very
positive.
The prosecution of cases in the Courts of Law has shown highly
satisfactory results. For the year ending December, 2016 the overall
conviction rate has been at 76% percent.
He said that credit goes to all ranks of NAB spread in the
whole country that through hard work, diligence and perseverance
have produced outstanding results.
These results are being acknowledged internationally. The
Transparency International (TI), a Berlin based Corruption watchdog,
has over the last three years improved Pakistan’s standing in the
CPI. “We stood at 139 positions in 2013. In the 2016 report Pakistan
stands at 116/176 countries.”
He said that the world over, anti-corruption agencies are
laying greater emphasis on awareness and prevention.
“We have also started a process of reforms to energize the
existing accountability system to improve the efficiency in all
spheres of NAB’s working from awareness and prevention to
enforcement and prosecution.”
The prevention and awareness process when synergized with
enforcement ensures that procurements and contract abuses are
substantially reduced and corruption is ultimately curbed.
The process is interactive, transparent and efficient for
achieving effective results.
Prevention Committees formed by NAB assist, advise and guide
the regulators in their efforts of bringing good governance through
internal control, accountability, withdrawal of discretionary
powers, ensuring transparency, fair play and meritocracy.
The system is continuously examined as it is being operated on
ground and recommendations for improvement are suggested with
support of those who make the system work.
Special focus is given to Awareness and Prevention activities
to spread the massage against corruption. NGOs, Media and Corporate
sector are involved in developing awareness and publicity material.
“We have established more than 45000 Character Building
Societies (CBS) in educational institutions across the country to
build an edifice against corruption.”
He said that the process of reforms and initiatives aimed at
improving the organization work has been introduced since 2013.
To begin with, an exhaustive and comprehensive introspection
exercise was carried out to identify knowledge gaps and structural
deficiencies. Through broad-based consultative process, a
comprehensive reform solution was designed. These were followed
by targeted reforms in operations, prosecution and A&P.
The support functions, HR and T & E were made responsive to
the changing needs of the times. With the revision of SOPs, the
introduction concept of CITs, better training, merit-based postings
and placements and reinvigorating prosecution by merit based
selections.
He said that NAB has chalked out a comprehensive training plan
which is spread over a period of approximately five months.
“In the absence of NAB’s own academy, we requested the
training facilities of Police College Sihala.”
“In this regard, we are thankful to the Inspector General of
Police Punjab and Commandant Police Training College Sihala who
provided us supportive environment for training.”
He said the capabilities and capacity of the Directing Staff
here, who are renowned experts of relevant fields, are laudable.
“After completion of the course, we hope that you will come up
with high standard of conduct, discipline and punctuality, knowledge
about the government functioning, constitution, law and NAB SOPs.”
“You, of course, have learned more about modern techniques of
investigation and progression through self reading.”
Earlier, DG T&R highlighted the importance and objective of
IBIC-VIII Course for NAB’s Investigation Officers at Police Training
College Sihala.
In the end, Chairman NAB appreciated the efforts of DG, T&R
and his team for conducting successful IBIC-VIII Course for NAB’s
Investigation Officers at Police Training College Sihala and hoped
that the above said course will enhance the abilities of all new
investigation officers.