The National Accountability Bureau has decided to open new cases against the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) after the organisation failed to act on NAB’s instructions under its awareness and prevention regime.

“NAB has decided that sufficient evidence is available against KPT to proceed against the individuals responsible for causing massive loss to the state and has decided to hand over these cases to its enforcement agency for further action,” the bureau’s spokesman Zafar Iqbal said on Thursday.

He said that despite repeated reminders, no internal action had been taken by the KPT nor had any action been initiated by the administration of the trust to prevent corruption and avert losses.

According to the spokesman, NAB found serious violations of the Pakistan Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules in awarding contracts and of government policies of land port strategy while inducting 75 tons of bollard pull tugs, non-enforcement of contract clauses by dredging contractor Chinese Works Engineering (CWE), mala fide decisions in planning deep water port and major shortfalls in its land allotment policies, the spokesman said.

It is learnt that some other departments may also face NAB action because they have not rectified flaws in their procedures despite intimation.“Despite delays and lack of cooperation by subject departments, NAB has been able to gather sufficient details for action to be initiated,” the spokesman said.

NAB observed that the KPT administration had purchased 75 tons of bollard pull tugs (special ropes) worth millions of rupee without any need.The trust’s documents showed that massive dredging had been done in the sea under a contract but there was no evidence on ground.

The spokesman said NAB had redoubled efforts to prevent corruption but the function of ‘prevention of corruption’ had been neglected earlier.The NAB authorities have reportedly empowered its awareness and prevention division which remains in liaison with various federal and provincial agencies, especially the regulators, for improvement in their frameworks.

Under its prevention of corruption programme, NAB has been investigating major projects of over Rs1.5 trillion.Projects of the Water and Power Development Authority, Pakistan State Oil, Oil and Gas Development Corporation, Capital Development Authority, National Highway Authority, Port Qasim Authority, Fauji Fertiliser Company and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority were identified and the departments concerned asked to present their viewpoints.

Following the presentations and considerable correspondence, numerous instances of mis-procurement came to light.“This, however, doesn’t mean that, wherever necessary, prevention cannot be converted into enforcement,” the spokesman said.