The country’s top anti-graft watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accepted the plea bargain application of former finance secretary Mushtaq Raisani who has offered to return Rs2 billion to the national exchequer.
Mushtaq Raisani was facing serious allegations of corruption was on Wednesday ‘cleared’ by NAB, paving the way for his release from custody.
Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani hit the headlines on May 6, 2016, when NAB seized over Rs730 million hard cash from his house in Quetta hours after he was taken into custody.
As the drama involving the recovery of such a large amount began to unfold, the finance man was also found to be owning as many as a dozen houses in Karachi, whose estimated cost was said to be around Rs2 billion.
With the suspect caught keeping millions in illegal money and owning property obtained beyond his known sources of income, it appeared to be an open-and-shut case ending with his conviction — until NAB’s decision on Wednesday.
The executive board meeting (EBM) of NAB, which itself had put Mr Raisani’s corruption figure at Rs40bn, accepted his plea bargain request for Rs2bn. NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry presided over the meeting.
Read more: NAB arrests Balochistan finance secretary, recovers Rs 730m from his home
-Raisani ready to return Rs2b in plea bargain-
According to NAB authorities, Raisani and contractor Sohail Majeed had submitted plea bargain applications which were approved during the conference of the executive board with NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry in the chair in Islamabad. The accused, who have confessed to their crime, are willing to return Rs2 billion to the national exchequer.
A huge amount to the tune of Rs2.25 billion had been released for local government development – but the lion’s share was allegedly embezzled by Raisani and his cronies who are currently on judicial remand.
NAB has completed its investigations into the multibillion-rupee corruption scandal.
-What is plea bargain?-
In September, the chief justice of Pakistan took a Suo Motu notice regarding the authority of the NAB chairman to approve the voluntary return of the ill-gotten money by a wrongdoer.
Talking to media, senior lawyer Mohammad Farooq explained that a request for voluntary return was made during the inquiry stage while the plea bargain application was moved after the filing of a reference under Section 25(A) and (B) of the NAB Ordinance, respectively.
He was of the view that the apex court’s sou moto notice covered both voluntary return and plea bargain deals since it was regarding Section 25 of the NAB Ordinance.
However, he pointed out, legally the NAB chairman can exercise his authority since the Supreme Court had not issued any interim restraining order to this effect.
Read more: Mushtaq Raisani case unravels with new disclosures
And these funds will be credit directly into an offshore account of Nawaz Sharif!
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