ISLAMABAD: Chairman NAB Justice Javed Iqbal has said that plea bargain is considered a punishment, corruption is the biggest challenge being faced by the country which is the biggest obstacle in the development and prosperity of the country.
The NAB was set up in 1999 to eradicate corruption and recover money looted from corrupt elements and deposit it back in the national kitty. The NAB has brought big fish to justice under the Accountability for All policy. From October 2017 to December 2021, the esteemed Accountability Courts have punished 1,405 accused in accordance with the law and effectively recovered Rs. 539 billion from corrupt elements. The looted money was exported directly and indirectly.
The Chairman NAB said that the performance of all the regional bureaus of NAB along with NAB headquarters is regularly reviewed. The NAB has set a time limit of 10 months for confirmation of complaints, inquiries, and completion of investigations in accordance with the law. The appointment of new Investigation Officers and Law Officers has further mobilized the NAB’s Prosecution and Operations Divisions and provided them with advanced training on how to fully investigate and prosecute cases, including white-collar crime cases, in the courts.
Chairman NAB Justice Javed Iqbal said that the accused applied for plea bargain under Article 25B of NAB Ordinance 1999. If the accused agrees to return the amount due, the NAB sends the application of the accused plea bargain to the relevant honorable accountability court in accordance with the law. The relevant Honorable Accountability Court gives final approval to the plea bargain. The accused not only confesses in writing to the Honorable Accountability Court but also agrees to return the stolen money.
The Honorable Accountability Court, after hearing the arguments of the parties, gives final approval to the plea bargain of the accused.
The accused not only confesses his guilt in the accountability court but also records his written statement in the accountability court and also submits the first installment of the looted money. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and some other countries have plebiscite laws. All legal penalties apply to a person who commits plebiscite.
If the accused is a government employee after the plea bargain, then after the approval of the plea bargain from the accountability court, the employee is dismissed in accordance with the law. All the proceeds from Plybar Gain are deposited in the national treasury which is being paid by the NAB officials as their national duty.
The Chairman NAB, while adopting the policy of “Accountability for All”, strongly believes in non-discriminatory accountability. The credit for NAB’s success goes to the current NAB administration, which is fulfilling its national duty to eradicate corruption.
On the instructions of Chairman NAB Justice Javed Iqbal, all the concerned officers have been directed to respect every person who comes to the office of NAB as NAB is a humane institution and believes in abiding by the law. According to the Gilani & Gallup poll, 59% of people trust NAB. NAB’s efforts and performance in eradicating corruption have been appreciated by national and international reputable organizations such as Transparency International, World Economic Forum, PLDAT and Mashal Pakistan.