SC winds up suo moto hearing on NAB voluntary return rules

ISLAMABAD: A Supreme Court bench on Wednesday wound up suo moto case pertaining to voluntary return rules of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), ARY News reported.

The court had taken suo moto notice about reinstatement of the officials after voluntarily return back the graft amount under the plea bargain reules of the NAB, Additional Attorney General said.

“Now section 25-A of the NAB law will be considered an offence,” AAG said. “The offender will now face same punishment on voluntary return of money, which was on the plea bargain,” according to the AAG. “An offender will be banned for 10 years, for a public office after voluntary return of the public money,” AAG said.

“The objective of the court’s suo moto notice of the matter has been fulfilled,” AAG said.

“Not all amendments in the NAB law were challenged,” Chief Justice said.

“Section 25-B of the NAB law was referred in the NAB Amendments case,” NAB prosecutor said.

“A government servant was availing clean chit by voluntarily returning back the graft money,” CJP said. “The flaw in the law has now been addressed,” chief justice added.

“Another case clubbed with this matter will be heard separately,” the bench added.

It may be mentioned here that another bench of the apex court had earlier proposed amendments to the NAB Ordinance of 1999.

According to Section 25 of NAO, the NAB chairman, with the approval of any accountability court, can order the release of an accused found guilty of corruption after he/she enters into a plea bargain or an agreement by returning the misappropriated money to the bureau.