NAB won’t harass you, SHC assures NICVD in corruption case
Hospital told to cooperate with the accountability bureau
The Sindh High Court instructed the administration of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases to provide all documents to NAB in the corruption case against the hospital.
“No NAB officer will harass the hospital employees,” remarked a judge on Wednesday.
The investigating officer told the court that the hospital hired people who were unqualified for certain posts, and laws were violated. It is a charity hospital and its employees were engaged in corrupt practices, the officer added.
The court has extended the interim bail of the hospital’s executive director, Dr Nadeem Qamar, the brother of PPP’s Naveed Qamar, and two others till February 2.
On December 3, the hospital approached the court to stop the Federal Investigation Agency from launching an investigation into its funds.
The hospital authorities said the FIA has been interfering with their work and should be stopped. The hospital is already being investigated by NAB.
The NICVD, which was inaugurated in 1963, treats people with heart diseases in Pakistan. According to its website, it is the “first tertiary cardiac care institute in South Asia as well as the flagship facility for cardiology in Pakistan.”
Corruption allegations
Dr Tariq Sheikh, a former staff officer at NICVD, wrote a letter to the Sindh chief secretary and informed him about the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of funds, misuse of power and rampant corruption in the NICVD.
He said he had informed Dr Qamar of the irregularities that had caused losses in billions over the last four years.
Officials had been embezzling funds and donations through 27 bank accounts, Shaikh had alleged. Some of them were even promoted to BPS-19 and 20 within six months of their appointment in the NICVD.
NAB raids NICVD
On October 29, a NAB team raided the hospital for the third time. The raid was reportedly conducted over an inquiry into employees being given salaries in advance and the purchase of medicines and medical equipment.
The hospital operations were suspended temporarily and many patients suffered because of it.
