ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has filed a supplementary reference against the accused persons for extending illegal benefits in the shape of illegal price increase of their drugs and selling of drugs by the accused beneficiaries on the prices which were increased illegally.
The accused include Arshad Farooq Faheem, Additional Secretary, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, Dr Muhammad Ali, former member pricing, DRAP, Saleem Isharat Hussain, former chief drugs inspector, Health Department, Sindh, Ayaz Ali Khan, former chief drugs controller, Health Department, Punjab, Sabir Ali, former chief drugs inspector, Health Department, KP, Abdul Salam Mufti, former chief drugs inspector, Health Department, Punjab, Sultan Ahmed, former senior drugs inspector, Health Department, Baluchistan, Rashid Latif Sheikh, former director, Cost Accounts Organisation, Ministry of Finance, Ashfaq Ahmed Tagar, former DAG, Sindh High Court and M/s Zam Zam Corporation.
The National graft buster has filed its references through its proprietor Muhammad Iqbal before the accountability court, in Islamabad.
“The total wrongful gain extended as a result of illegal price increase comes to Rs 1683.69 million, out of which an amount of Rs 900 million has been recovered through plea bargain from beneficiary pharmaceutical companies duly approved by the accountability court, Islamabad, the statement issued by NAB stated.
It is relevant to mention here that NAB not only recovered illegal gain from beneficiary pharmaceutical companies but their prices of drugs were reverted back to the level as it were before increase through DRAP, thus extending the benefit to public at large as well.