RPPs deposit Rs825m in response to NAB notices

ISLAMABAD: In response to the notices, sent by National Accountability Bureau, the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) Friday deposited Rs825 million to NAB that was given to them by the government as advance payment.

Though the notices were sent to all the RPPs on Tuesday with 48 hour deadline to deposit the outstanding amount given to them as advance money by the government with interest, but on Friday only four of them approached in NAB and deposited Rs600 million in the shape of pay orders and Rs225 million in shape of post paid cheques. The CEOs of some RPPs appeared before the investigation team and handed over these pay orders and cheques.

According to NAB officials, the three RPP companies deposited the money in shape of pay orders and one company deposited the post paid cheque of Rs225 million. They said though majority of the RPPs companies had offered NAB for using the option of voluntarily return. But the NAB officials said it is premature to say any thing either to accept or reject the RPPs offer at this stage.Senior officials of Pepco and Wapda and MDs of PPIB and Genco were also quizzed in the case and recorded their statements.

According to the officials, NAB would complete its reconciliation exercise in coming week where it would scrutinize the collected evidence and other relevant material. After this exercise the accused persons required for further examination would be summoned.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information Technology Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also appeared before the NAB investigation team, which was probing the multi-billion Rental Power Projects on Friday and was quizzed for three hours.The Bureau is proceeding against the accused persons in RPPs case rapidly under the direction of the Supreme Court.

It is to be reminded that the Minister for Information Technology was summoned last week, but he was not probed as the investigation team was in the Supreme Court, along with NAB Chairman Admiral (r) Fasih Bukhari and Prosecutor General Accountability K K Agha.

During his three hours investigation, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was given a questionnaire for his replies and also asked questions for giving some of the RPPs permission and advance money. The investigation was conducted by the NAB officials.