ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: The National Accountability Bureau decided on Monday that it would follow the Supreme Court’s verdict in the NICL scam in letter and spirit.

A meeting, presided over by NAB deputy chairman Saeed Ahmed Sarghana, reviewed different aspects of the NICL case and referred the matter to the bureau’s prosecution wing so that the investigation could proceed further under recommendations of the wing, NAB spokesman Ramzan Sajid told Dawn.

The bureau’s chairman, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, went on leave for an indefinite period after the Supreme Court declared him guilty on Friday in the illegal appointment of a former NICL chairman and of creating ‘hindrance’ in investigation. The court directed the NAB to proceed against all persons involved in the scam.

The meeting, attended by senior officials of the NAB, discussed and reviewed the judgement of the apex court in the NICL scam and reached a conclusion that the NAB deputy chairman can exercise all powers delegated to him by the chairman before proceeding on long leave.

The meeting decided that the NAB would continue working during the absence of its chairman and take its decisions on all important cases and references, including the Rs82 billion Ogra scam, the Rs22bn rental power projects scam and the investment (Modaraba) scam.

Qamar Zaman Chaudhry was appointed as NAB chairman on October 10, but soon after he assumed the charge, his appointment was challenged in the Supreme Court by the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf.

Former chief justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui said in a TV programme on Monday that the NAB could not move ahead even an inch without its chairman. Therefore, the investigation against Qamar Zaman Chaudhry should be expedited for a swift decision.

“The case should be decided as soon as possible so that the NAB becomes functional,” he said.

He said although the NAB chairman had not been convicted in the NICL case, Mr Chaudhry should not continue in office till the case being investigated by the NAB was decided.

Senior lawyer Babar Sattar was of the opinion that the NAB chairman could not delegate his powers to subordinates.

He said the NAB chairman could file a review petition before the Supreme Court to get himself cleared in the NICL case and avoid further investigation against him by his own organisation.

“This is the only remedy for him. Otherwise, he cannot serve as NAB chairman even if he is not convicted,” he said.