ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated a probe against Barrister Shehzad Akbar-led Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) of the Imran Khan government over alleged misuse of authority for financial gains and criminal breach of trust in recovery of crime proceeds received from the UK and illegal sealing of its record.
NAB sources said that it has formally approached the PM’s Office with the request to obtain copies of all relevant documents pertaining to the office of ARU chairman Barrister Shehzad Akbar.
According to the copy of the letter sent to the PM’s Office, the documents sought by the Bureau for inquiry include “Note to the Prime Minister”, which was moved in December 2019 regarding surrender and repatriation of illegal proceeds of alleged crime pertaining to two Pakistani nationals — Ahmed and Mubashra — from UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan.
The details sought also include complete correspondence with the NCA regarding the above two individuals, their alleged illegal crime proceeds and repatriation of the same. Draft deed of confidentiality moved by the ARU for approval of cabinet has also been sought by the NAB as part of its probe.
The NAB letter also wants to acquire details about any press release issued by the ARU subsequent to transfer of funds from the UK government.
The Shehbaz Sharif government in June this year constituted a committee to probe the alleged involvement of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra in obtaining billions of rupees from a tycoon for legalising a laundered amount of Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.
In the post-cabinet meeting press conference, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had accused Mr Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi of accepting Rs5 billion and hundreds of kanals land in exchange for protecting a private company in a money laundering case.
The government alleged that the company had illegally transferred Rs50 billion to a Pakistani national in the UK who was caught by the NCA, which subsequently informed the-then PTI government about the laundered money, TNI reports.
Rana accused that following Imran Khan’s direction, Shahzad Akbar had settled the entire case and the Rs50 billion, which belonged to the public exchequer, was adjusted in a different head.
The interior minister also alleged that Imran Khan had got approval for the settlement in a cabinet meeting on Dec 3, 2019 without allowing its members to read it, even though some of them sought a clarification.
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