How NAB "thief
catchers" were caught red-handed
Special SAT Report
PESHAWAR:
This story has not yet been told in full but it tells a lot more
than anyone can imagine. A Pakistan Air Force Air Vice Marshal
has been retired, just simply retired by the Musharraf Government,
after Rs 320 million were recovered from a bank locker in Multan
and a suspect said the money belonged to him.
This
is a story of the people who were made incharge of catching the
thieves, read politicians, if you are wearing a uniform.
Two
lockers were raided by authorities, one belonging to the AVM’s
mother and another to his sister, married to a Collector of Customs.
The
Collector, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, is presently behind the bars but
he has told his investigators the lockers and the money found
in it, all Rs 320 million, belonged to the AVM Zakaullah, responsible
for the Accountability drive in NWFP.
The
Collector was arrested after the money was found in the lockers
but how did this scandal break out? The simple answer is fighting
between thieves over the loot.
The
background of the case is a tussle over bribes in the local NAB
office in Peshawar. There were two groups. One led by a Brigadier
and the other by the AVM.
The
Brigadier was transferred 4-5 months back because there were complaints
against him. The AVM fell out with the rest of the team, which
comprised a Colonel and two Majors, once the Brigadier was gone.
The
AVM transferred the two Majors who were so enraged they spilled
the beans and reported the underhand deals negotiated by the AVM,
besides revealing other secrets.
An
investigation was thus launched which led to the arrest of the
Collector of Customs and the recovery of the loot from the Multan
lockers.
This
story was reported in the Pakistani media, but suppressed. Wrong
figures were quoted. Some said Rs 40 million was recovered, others
said Rs 140 million.
The
big story is that nothing happened to the AVM who was simply retired.
Now
the newly elected government of Maulanas will pursue the case
and they are sure that they will bring the culprits to book and
give them proper punishment.
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