The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Punjab, could file only 11 references this year, including six for closure of investigation, till date in accountability courts of Lahore against politicians and bureaucrats under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), The Post learnt Sunday.

The NAB chairman, under Section 9 (c) of NAO, referred six out of 11 cases for closure whereas four cases have been closed till date. The remaining five cases are awaiting further proceedings.

The first case was filed against former district officer Ijaz Ahmad Randhawa and three others namely former finance director Ghulam Murtaza Butter, former assistant director construction Ghulam Rabanni and Sub-engineer Naeem Mohi-ud-din from Faisalabad WASA on February 1. However, the case was closed on the same date.

The second case was transferred from an anticorruption-court to an accountability court at the request of the NAB chairman under Section 16 (a). The case was registered against two former government officials namely building officer Bashir Ahmad and Okara Tehsil Municipal Administration clerk Talib Hussain.

Mehmood Ahmad, a contractor, got registered a case against these two officials, saying they received Rs100,000 in bribe from him to issue a contract in his favour for collection of Naqsha Fee by TMC for the period beginning January 1 to June 30, 2002. The accused were remanded in judicial custody on October 9, 2005, and the case was sent to an anti-corruption court from where it was transferred to accountability courts in February 2006.

The third case was filed against Rotek Feeds Director Mian M Ashraf for wilful bank default. The NAB referred this case for closure but the court has yet to make a decision. The fourth case was filed against bank official Mohammad Jamshed and Patwari Khushhall Khan for misappropriation of funds at Agricultural Development Bank Limited. A court awaiting a supplementary reference in this case for further proceedings.

The fifth case was filed against former Pindi Bhattian MPA Intisar Hussain Bhatti but was closed after some time.

The sixth case against bank official Khalid Mehmood and his accomplices was transferred from a banking court to an accountability court. The court is waiting for a supplementary reference from NAB.

The seventh case was against Gujranwala budget and accounts officer Abbas Ahmad for acquiring assets beyond his know sources of income. However, the court closed this case on June 9. The eighth case was filed against former deputy superintendent police (DSP) Shoukat Murtaza on charges of making illegal assets. A court closed the reference on June 9.

The ninth reference was also referred for closure. The reference was filed against collector customs Syed Ijaz Hussain Shah on charges of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income. Hussain was released on bail after a plea bargain with NAB on June 9.

The 10th reference, filed on June 15, was against United Bank Limited Manager Mohammad Ismail, Rana Mohammad Yasin and Mohammad Aslamon. They were charged with embezzling Rs 27 million from UBL's Azam Cloth Market branch. Mohammad Ismail and Mohammad Aslam are still at large.

UBL Azam Cloth Market Manager Qaiser Irfan lodged an FIR in the Masti Gate police station on January 13, 2005, saying that aforementioned people caused a loss of Rs 5,059,500 to the bank by embezzling account holders' money. However, NAB probed the matter and found that they actually embezzled Rs 27 million. The NAB chairman NAB got transferred this case to accountability courts form a banking trial court.

NAB filed 11th case on June 16 in an accountability court against three former federal employees who embezzled Rs 2.757 million from government funds. The NAB Punjab arrested former junior auditor Mohammad Asif and assistant accounts officer Mohammad Ajmal Rajput of DAO, Bahawalpur on February 21, 2006 while former cashier M Iftikhar Javed is still at large. They were employees of Guar Botanist, Agriculture Research Station Bahawalpur.