The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has found evidences of corruption worth billions of rupees against former Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen in Rental Power Project (RPP) and has decided to convert inquiry into investigation. The corruption inquiry against Shaukat Tareen was initiated on the direction of Supreme Court of Pakistan which took suo moto action regarding the RPP during the last PPP government.
The former Prime Minster Raja Pervez Ashraf and dozens of others senior government officials are the main accused in the scam.
Sources told Online that on the basis of these evidences, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to convert inquiry into investigation.
“As per NAB rules and regulations, when the documentary proofs of accused are found then the inquiry is converted into investigation. After this, Investigation Officer (I.O) of NAB has to complete the process within six weeks and has to file the reference”, sources added.
Sources further said that during the tenure of PPP government, corruption worth billions of rupees was committed for the installation of RPP in the country to resolve energy crises. When the scam surfaced former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was then the Minister for Water and Power, while Shaukat Tareen and Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani were Finance Minister and Prime Minister respectively. The apex court had taken suo moto of this scam and recovered looted money worth Rs 20 billion from accused and had deposited it in the national exchequer. The apex court has assigned the task to NAB to further investigate the matter, identify the accused and punish them appropriately.
The NAB authorities have showed their negligence in completing the probe as the PML-N government was not cooperating with NAB in this regard.
The NAB officials said that corruption evidences have been collected against former Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen and his statement has been recorded.
“Former Secretary Water and Power Ismail Qureshi, who is close relative of Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, is also allegedly involved in this scam”, sources concluded.
