The NAB has been warned by Farah Gogi and her husband that they face a slander lawsuit.
Take disciplinary action internally against the anti-graft watchdog’s officer who issued a misleading press statement.
ISLAMABAD — On Thursday, Farah Gogi, a close aide of former first lady Bushra Bibi, and her husband filed a defamation lawsuit against a member of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Gogi and her husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar claimed that the NAB issued a press release before filing a reference in response to the bureau’s summon notice in the assets beyond means and money laundering investigation.
Their attorney contended that it was illegal to leak misleading material to the media in advance. This warrants action from the anti-corruption watchdog against the offending officer.
Gogi’s attorney also argued that NAB lacks the authority to probe Gogi’s company because it is privately owned. The lawyer argued that NAB has no authority to investigate the couple because they run their own private business and because the bank accounts in question have already been declared.
According to the lawyer, all of the above constitutes a threat to sue NAB for defamation on behalf of Gogi and her husband.
The NAB’s Inquiry
The anti-corruption commission had called for Gogi and Gujjar to testify in an investigation into allegations of money laundering and excessive wealth.
Over Rs4.5 billion was allegedly transferred between 117 different bank accounts linked to the couple, including four accounts in foreign countries, as reported by NAB. Furthermore, the legitimacy of at least ten of the couple’s businesses has been questioned.
A representative from NAB insisted that the company’s assets had increased by more than 400% over the preceding three years. He mentioned eight properties, one of which being a commercial plaza in Defence Lahore, and a high-end apartment in the Middle East.
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“Whereas the competent authority has taken the cognizance of an offence committed by you and others under the provisions of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and the Anti Money Laundering Act, 2010,” stated the call-up notices sent to the husband and wife individually.
According to the document, “the inquiry proceedings conducted to date have revealed that there is huge movement of cash in your and your husband’s bank accounts which does not commensurate with your banking profile.” In addition, a wide variety of valuable immovable properties in your and your husband’s names have surfaced during the proceedings, which are not in proportion to your sources of income. As such, you have knowledge of or access to information/evidence that relates to the conduct of a crime as defined by the National Act Against Obscenity (1999) and the Anti-Malicious Laws Act (2010). You were notified to appear at this Bureau in accordance with the aforementioned notice, but you did not.
