NICL scandal: NAB shifts focus to recovery and arrest of accused
30 December, 2013
ISLAMABAD: After inquiring the matters related to misuse of authority to create hurdles in the investigation of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam case as well as appointment of Ayaz Khan Niazi as NICL chairman, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has shifted its focus on the Rs 5.34 billion scandal for the recovery of remaining amount and arrest of other accused.
In this regard, NAB has approached respective courts in Lahore and Karachi for transferring the cases related to multi-billion NICL scandal to accountability courts.
Applications have been moved by the NAB Prosecution Wing before a sessions court Lahore, special judge Central Lahore and respective Karachi courts on behalf of acting chairman of NAB under Section 16 (a) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, as well as in compliance of Supreme Court orders in the case.
The FIA Punjab chapter has registered eight cases, while the FIA Sindh chapter has registered three cases in the scandal.
Initially, NAB has submitted an application regarding seven cases pending in sessions court Lahore and special judge Central Lahore and Karachi.
Despite Supreme Court's orders, the recovery of Rs 420 million has not been made by the FIA so far, and the most wanted fugitives, including Mohsin Habib Warraich, the son of former state minister for defence production Major (r) Habibullah Warraich, Amin Qasim Dada, Javed Syed, Muhammad Iqbal Hussain, Khalid A Khan and Khawaja Akbar are still at large.
The FIA Punjab chapter has told the SC that it has already recovered an amount of Rs 1.68 billion against agriculture land measuring 803 kanals and 19 marlas, while an amount of Rs 80 million has also been recovered from the accused.
It is pertinent to mention that this amount of Rs 1.68 billion was transferred to the NICL account on intervention of NAB during initial probe of the case by the bureau on direction of the Supreme Court when NAB managed to freeze the accounts of the accused, Mohsin Warraich.
The amount was about to be transferred for foreign destination when NAB timely intervened to shift it to the NICL account.
Another accused, Akram Warraich – whose four post-dated cheques have been not cashed – has also been at large despite the fact his bail has been cancelled by the court.
Sources in FIA confirmed that NAB has formerly submitted its applications before sessions court and court of special judge.
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