Islamabad - Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Qamar Zaman Chaudhary Tuesday said that NAB has established its own forensic science lab which has been made operational with an aim to equip NAB with latest technology for its emerging needs to eliminate menace of corruption from the society.

NAB chairman said that a concept of Combined Investigation Team (CIT) has been introduced as investigation officers and prosecution officer are now working as a team to ensure transparency and merit in conduct of investigations.

He said, “NAB has shown that struggle against corruption is our top priority. NAB is using all its resources to come up to the expectations of the nation as we considering eradication of corruption as our national duty,” he added. 

He said NAB’s forensic science lab has the facilities of digital forensics, fingerprint forensics and questioned documents. Establishment of forensic science lab will help in retrieving of documents from electronic devices like cell phones, computers, Ipads and networks and its preservation to determine authorship of questioned hand writing, identity questioned typescripts and printed documents to detect forgeries in questioned documents to determine interpolation, additions or overwriting and substitution of papers, and to work on Questioned Fingerprints for comparison and/or identification purposes. He said, “Under our proactive approach, NAB has been engaging different governmental and non-governmental organisations and civil society in its fight against corruption.”

He said with the help of properly functioning forensic science Lab, investigation officers (IOs) probing different high profile corruption cases will be able to conduct complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations transparently and on merit.

NAB chairman said that NAB recognises the centrality of training as a tool of improvement and maintaining the quality of its manpower. He said that a standardized syllabus for all investigation officers, refresher and capacity building courses on Accounts matters, General Financial Rules, FR, SR, Digital Forensic Question Documents and Finger Print Analysis has been formulated by NAB to ensure quality and uniformity.

It will help NAB in achieving standard application of SOPs, Laws and rules. The performance objectives of training programs will be continuously evaluated so as to form a basis for subsequent review and improvements in future training needs.