Islamabad: The audit report on the financial affairs of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has revealed financial and administrative irregularities worth over Rs 320 million. The report has raised questions on various payments, use of funds and methods of transfer of funds and stressed the need for full implementation of relevant rules.
According to the report, NAB headquarters made various payments of Rs 277.9 million from a budget that the audit authorities declared to be inconsistent with the rules. The audit is of the opinion that these expenses should have been made from the Recovery and Reward Fund; however, the regular budget of the institution was used for them.
According to the document, Rs 117 million of these expenses were spent on legal matters and expenses related to cases, while Rs 169 million were paid for consultants, legal experts and other professional services.
The auditors have said in their report that not using the fund established for a specific purpose is against the basic spirit and rules of this fund. The report also termed the explanation presented by the NAB administration as unsatisfactory and recommended that all future payments be made in accordance with the relevant laws and the Recovery and Reward Rules.
The report also raised an important point regarding NAB Peshawar. According to the audit, the amount received of Rs 46.9 million was deposited in another account instead of being transferred to the government treasury. The auditors took the position that this process was not in accordance with the rules and said that the government dues should have been deposited in the national treasury.
The report also did not accept the explanation of NAB Peshawar and recommended that the said amount be transferred to the national treasury immediately so that full implementation of financial regulations can be ensured.
The audit authorities have emphasised in their recommendations that NAB should make financial discipline more effective, adopt transparency in the use of funds and, in the future, all payments and receipts should be made in accordance with relevant laws and financial rules. The points raised in the report are aimed at ensuring institutional accountability and transparent use of public resources.
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