National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Tuesday has approved probe into wheat and sugar crisis.

During the meeting of NAB's executive board, the participants decided to launch investigation into price hike of sugar and flour, alleged smuggling and subsidy issue.

Sources said that sugar and wheat crisis is a prime mega scandal and the anti-graft agency is thoroughly reviewing it. The bureau will conduct a transparent inquiry into the matter.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government earlier this month had made public reports of a high-level inquiry into the sugar and wheat crises.

The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also authorized conducting inquiries of the officials of Capital Development Authority, management of River Garden Housing Society and mega corruption cases in Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) for inflicting billion of rupee losses to public exchequer.

The EBM accorded approval of sending the complaint verification against management of International Islamic University and others to relevant department.

The EBM approved closing inquiries against officers/officials of Privatisation Commission of Pakistan and others, Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum, former Attorney General of Pakistan and others, Professor Dr Ikramullah Khan, Head of Dermalogy , Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad and others, managing committee of Interior Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Raja Ali Akbar and others owing to absence of evidence as per law.

Deputy Chairman ,Prosecutor General Accountability, Director General Operations and other senior officers of NAB attended the meeting.

Chairman NAB said that the anti graft watchdog has filed 610 corruption references in various accountability courts and directly or indirectly recovered record Rs 178 billion from corrupt elements in last two years period and deposited the entire recovered amount into national exchequer.

Right now 1,275 corruption references having accumulated value of Rs 943 billion were under trial in various accountability courts.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan