NAB’S FORMER BOSSES DO NOT BELIEVE IN THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY

ISLAMABAD: Despite their removal from National Accountability Bureau, its former chairman and other senior officials are enjoying official perks and privileges, informed sources have told Dawn.

Those enjoying official perks include NAB’s former chairman Justice (retd) Syed Deedar Hussain Shah, former prosecutor general Irfan Qadir and NAB’s former director general (Punjab) Rana Zahid Mehmood.

“Despite receiving several letters from NAB headquarters, these officials have not returned their official vehicles and are still occupying official residences,” a senior NAB official said. By law, they were supposed to return official vehicles and vacate official residences the day they were removed from their offices. The sources said that former chairman Justice Shah still had two official vehicles under his use.

The former director-general for Rawalpindi and Lahore, Raza Zahid Mehmood, still has six official vehicles even though he was entitled to only one 1300CC car. Sources also said that Mr.Mehmood had also used Rs.500,000 special funds from NAB’s kitty.

“He took Rs300,000 special funds from Rawalpindi region and Rs200,000 from Lahore region,” a NAB official said on condition of anonymity. The NAB Headquarters has also received a bill of Rs55,000 as accommodation charges in federal lodges because Mr. Mehmood was said to be still living in a suit in the lodges.

Mr Mehmood was appointed NAB’s Rawalpindi DG for one year on April 21, 2010, and later he was also given the additional charge of NAB’s Lahore DG. He retired from NAB on April 21, 2011, but continued to hold dual offices. Finally, he was removed from the bureau on the Supreme Court’s orders.  Similarly, NAB’s former prosecutor general Irfan Qadir is using an official car and lives in an official residence in Islamabad.

Mr.Qadir, whose appointment as the PG, was declared illegal by the Supreme Court on September 1 has been still living in his official residence No-29 near Kohsar Market in F-6/3 area. Besides, he still enjoys other perks, including the latest model chauffeur-driven black Corolla car and official security guards posted at his residence.