Daily Times

Karachi: The Chief Justice Sindh High Court on Tuesday reprimanded National Accountability Bureau for inordinate delay in completion of inquiries against accused in corruption cases, observing that NAB officials collude with the accused to weaken the case.

Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh was hearing a case relating to inordinate delay in NAB inquiries. The top judge of the province remarked that NAB is helping the accused by delaying completion of inquiries inordinately. The court directed NAB to submit details of inquiries pending for last two years. It remarked that due to inefficiency of inquiry officers of NAB and their collusion with accused the cases are delayed for many years leading to acquittal of the accused.

The CJ also expressed his anger over DG NAB Altaf Bawani and Investigation Officer Seema for delay in completion of inquiry against the accused.

The court directed NAB to inform as to what caused delay in completion of inquiries and investigation against accused in corruption cases. It observed that the inquiries which were pending for many years and there was inordinate delay in their completion should be dropped.

Addressing DG NAB, the court asked him to look into the internal affairs of NAB. The CJ said that NAB officials collude with accused to weaken inquiries and cases against them. He said that only those accused of committing Rs10 thousands of corruption were being dragged by the IOs, while investigation against those accused of corruption of billions of rupees are being delayed inordinately.

Published in Daily Times, August 30^th 2017.