ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated a probe into the leakage of accused Inam Akbar and Yousuf Khoboro’s picture and video as well that went viral on social media when they were in the custody, Pakistan Today learnt on Monday.
According to the documents available with the publication, Engineer Masood Alan Khan, a director, is made the chairman while Saleem Khan was appointed as a member of the committee constituted to probe the episode.
Sources have confirmed that an inquiry into the matter is under process. Moreover, Mehboob Alam has also been directed to provide necessary support to the committee.
Akbar and Khoboro, the influential accused, are named in the Rs 5.76 billion corruption reference pertaining to embezzlement in the Sindh Information Department.
Both accused were taken into custody by the Karachi NAB’s inquiry officer (IO) outside the Supreme Court building upon dismissal of their case and were subsequently shifted to NAB Rawalpindi. They had remained there till they were taken to the Islamabad airport.
During their detention, a private newspaper had published the picture of the accused which was purportedly taken outside the NAB police station.
The documents stated, “As per order of fact-finding inquiry, taking such unauthorised picture and further unauthorised submission to media is a gross violation of NAB standard operation procedure (SOP) and good office conduct.”
“The issue calls for a fact-finding inquiry to ascertain the fact of this violation, besides an administrative action under NAB TCS Rules 2002 and NAO 1999,” said the document.
In addition to that, NAB Rawalpindi director general has also detained officer Bilal Punnu on the suspicion that he was behind the leak. Punnu has served as a public relations officer (PRO) at NAB Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Today, however, was unable to reach the NAB for an official take on the matter.
It may be mentioned here that Inam Akbar is one of the accused in a corruption case of Rs 5.76 billion pertaining to illegal awarding of government advertising contracts at exorbitant rates.
He is the owner of media advertising company namely Messrs Evernew Concept, while Yousuf Kabooro was serving as deputy director of information department, Sindh.
They were wanted in a reference filed against 17 accused and charged with embezzlement of Rs 3.2 billion. Inam Akbar has been charged with embezzlement of Rs 2.2 billion out of total Rs 3.2 billion.