NAB rebuts news regarding raid at NICVD

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday rejected media reports about the raid conducted at the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi by the anti-graft watchdog last week, ARY News reported.

The anti-corruption in a statement said that NAB had received various complaints about alleged allegations of corrupt practices, misuse of authority powers in respect of giving illegal appointments, misuse of 27 bank accounts of NICVD, violation of decisions taken in meetings of Board of Governors and violation of SSPRA Rules in procurement etc.

“NAB had received corruption and corrupt practices through 13 different points varying misuse of authority powers in respect of giving illegal appointments and release of excessive salaries and unjustified Satellite allowances, illegal out of turn promotions up to grades of 19 and 20, grant of illegal loans, misuse of 27 bank accounts of NICVD, violation of decisions taken in meetings of Board of Governors and violation of SSPRA Rules in procurement etc,” the press release reads.

It added that the NAB had sought record from NICVD and also engaged the Sindh Health Department for provision of record through a focal person of Health as the Sindh government has been providing funds to NICVD.

“It was not a raid; rather it was a visit to get official record”.

“The Health Department provided the funds to NICVD amounting to Rs. 5,150,000 million to NICVD, Karachi during the current financial year 2020-21 also but the management of NICVD and Health Department, Government of Sindh are not providing relevant information and record to NAB Karachi in spite of various requests in order to conduct a fair and transparent inquiry into the affairs of NICVD which was approved by the competent authority as per law,” reads the statement.

The anti-corruption bureau clarified that the NAB team had visited NICVD, Karachi to expedite the official record from NICVD which was being deliberately delayed on one pretext or another in order to create hurdles in the conduct of smooth, fair, transparent and independent inquiry as per law.

“It was not a raid; rather it was a visit to get official record,” the statement reads.

The NAB hoped that the management of NICVD and Health Department, Government of Sindh will extend full cooperation with NAB in conduct of inquiry against NICVD, Karachi so that official point of view of all concerned will be incorporated to meet the ends of justice and come clean if NICVD has not done anything against the law in this regard.