Over a decade after the National Accountability Bureau presented a list of 179 mega corruption cases before the Supreme Court, the fate of these cases raises a troubling question: was NAB making genuine corruption cases or did the bureau itself overstate the magnitude and evidentiary strength of a large number of cases? The question assumes greater significance because the last official status of the 179 cases shows that 90 cases had been disposed of, while 86 references were still under trial and three investigations remained under process.
NAB was approached for the latest data, but it could not be shared. However, sources said that even the latest update would not absolve the bureau of blowing these cases out of proportion. All these cases were framed as mega corruption by the then NAB management, which remains unaccountable. The list was originally submitted to the Supreme Court in 2015 on the court's directions, categorizing the cases into 81 inquiries, 52 investigations, and 46 references under trial.
Almost over ten years later, the public record does not demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of these cases culminated in convictions. A substantial number of cases did not survive until trial. NAB's own statistics show that of the original 81 inquiries, 45 were converted into investigations, six resulted in voluntary returns, while 30 were closed, merged, or referred elsewhere. Out of total investigations, 73 references were filed, four resulted in plea bargains, and 17 were closed.
The political cases contained in the list provide striking examples. Big political names were included, but hardly any of them have been convicted, with most having been acquitted or their cases closed. This raises serious questions about the credibility of the original classification and whether NAB presented genuinely established scandals or a mixture of raw allegations to the apex court.