ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its Executive Board`s Meeting, presided over by chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal, decided on Wednesday to close down several inquiries and investigations and not to open new cases.

The investigations or inquiries closed down include probe against Dr Ahmed Nadeem Akbar, former registrar of Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC); Imran Taj, General Manager of Nespak; Aftab Ahmed, Associate Engineer of Nespak; Fawad Butt, proprietor of Messrs Construction Experts and others; Wali Muhammad Naij, former superintending engineer of Khairpur, Irrigation Circle, Sukkur, and others; Dr Parveen Naeem Shah, Vice Chancellor of Shah Abdul Latif University, and others; Manzoor Ahmed Malik, former sheet clerk, SSP ofhce, Jacobabad, and others.

According to an official handout of NAB, the meeting approved closing of inquiries against of ficials of the Federal Board of Revenue; Defence Housing Society, Karachi; Port Qasim Authority; Karachi Port Trust and others; Saeed Ahmed Jakhrani, former director of Nara Canal, (SEDA), Mirpurkhas; officers of irrigation division, Sindh `due to absence of any proof`.

The handout said that the anti-graft watchdog was policy-bound to share details of the decisions taken by the EBM with the people.

`The inquiries and investigations arebeing initiated on the basis of ... allegations and, therefore, allegations must notbe considered asñnal.The ñnaldecision about initiating proceedings against any accused is taken af ter knowing point of view of both sides,` it said.

The EBM also decided to further examine the case against owners/directors and others of Al Tutmish Medical Society and ongoing inquiry being conducted against Ghulam Shabbir Sheikh, former acting IG of Sindh, and others in the abuse of authority case etc.

The NAB board also approved closure of the inquiry against ofñcers/ofñcials of KDA, government of Sindh, in the light of the Supreme Court orders.

Later, NAB chief said that priority of NAB was to eradicate corruption from the country besides recovering the looted money from plunderers.

`NAB is now concentrating on taking mega corruption cases to their logical conclusion,` he said.

By pursuing the policy of Accountability for All, he said, NAB had recovered Rs 71 billion directly or indirectly over the last 23 months.

He said the World Economic Forum in its recent report had lauded the bureau`s performance.

`The overall conviction rate of NAB cases is over 70 per cent,` he added.

The NAB chief said the bureau had ñled 610 corruption references in accountability courts over the past 23 months and it was striving to recover billions of rupees looted from the people from 44 suspects now under custody of officials in Modaraba / Musharaka scams.

He said 1,235 corruption references involving Rs 900 billion were currently being heard in different accountability courts ofthe country.

He directed all directors general to ensure completion of complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations within the prescribed timeframe.