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Saturday, November 23, 2024

National Assembly Passes Second NAB Amendment Bill Aimed At Reducing The Powers Of Accountability Bureau

National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act, 2022 has been passed by the National Assembly (NA) with a majority vote, amending the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 (NAO).

The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act, 2022, was presented in the lower house by State Minister for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan in order to further amend the accountability law.

A value of Rs500m will be required to constitute an offence of corruption and corrupt practices according to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.

Additionally, the bill strips the president of his authority to appoint judges of accountability courts in consultation with the chief justice of the high court.

“A judge shall be appointed by the federal government after consultation with the chief justice of the high court concerned,” the bill stated. NAB Prosecutor General’s service tenure can be extended by three years under the bill.

As part of the bill, Section 16 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 (NAO) was amended to provide that an accused will be tried in the court whose jurisdiction the alleged offense was committed.

As a result of an amendment to Section 19E, the NAB no longer has the authority to conduct surveillance with the help of a high court. Any assistance from government agencies that may be used against the accused at trial falls under this category.

“Any person called to provide information in relation to an offence alleged to have been committed will be informed of the allegations against them so they can file their defence in court,” the bill stated.

In addition, the Chairman of the NAB will now have the power to recommend that the reference be terminated before the indictment occurs.

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