Corruption focus turns to military in Pakistan
By: Rory McCarthy

Pakistan's corruption investigators believe several former high-ranking military officers took bribes worth at least $40m (£28m) in international defence-equipment deals.

Kickbacks were taken in connection with deals involving tanks, submarines, aircraft and jeeps during the past decade, according to a source close to the inquiries. At least six key defence agreements are being investigated.

Little has been done in the past to look into Pakistan's defence deals, long suspected of involving massive overpayments and corruption. And there is still concern that a military regime would be reluctant to prosecute its own kind.

In a sweeping military reshuffle yesterday, Lieutenant-General Syed Amjad, the head of the national accountability bureau, which is in charge of investigations into corruption, was moved sideways after less than nine months in the job. The general, who is well regarded in the army, had appeared ready to investigate retired officers and answer the critics who argue that the bureau has moved too slowly and shirked its duty of looking into the armed forces.

Human rights groups in Pakistan have complained about the broad powers given to the bureau when it was set up after last October's coup. Corruption suspects can be held for 90 days without charge.

Gen Amjad has been given a lesser command of the army corps in Multan and will be replaced by Lieutenant-General Khalid Maqbool, a senior corps commander. It is unclear how the appointment of such a senior officer will affect the current investigations.

The bureau wants to extradite Admiral Mansurul Haq, who was naval chief under the Benazir Bhutto government in the mid-1990s, and who is now living in the United States. He is reported to have three houses in Pakistan, worth 150m rupees (£1.9m), and has been under investigation for at least three years.

"We are investigating charges of corruption against senior retired armed forces officers," said Farouk Adam Khan, the bureau's top prosecutor. "Mr Haq has properties which appear to be inconsistent with his known sources of income and that requires an explanation."

Two naval officers, a commodore and a captain, who served under Mr Haq have been convicted of corruption in a military court martial. They took 4.1m rupees (£52,000) in bribes and were sentenced to long jail terms at the November 1998 hearing. But the then naval chief suspended the prison sentences; the men returned the money and were dismissed from the navy.

"There are no 'untouchables' as far as the national accountability bureau is concerned," said Mr Khan. "We have received no instructions to let off a particular individual or group of people."

At least four other Pakistanis living in the US are being considered for extradition. A team from the FBI has been helping to train Pakistan's corruption investigators, and a US justice department official has been to Islamabad to discuss the cases.

Pakistan's military leader, General Pervez Musharraf, has complained that the British government is not helping trace at least 14 Pakistanis living in Britain who are wanted on suspicion of corruption. Pakistan has no extradition treaty with Britain.

In the military reshuffle, Gen Musharraf also replaced his number two, Lieutenant-General
Muhammed Aziz Khan, who was known to be a close friend of Mr Musharraf and a strong Islamist.

The two served together in an elite commando unit, and many suspected that Gen Khan had an important influence over his superior on Islamic issues. In the reshuffle, Gen Khan was given command of the Lahore corps, his first corps command and still a powerful position. Traditionally, generals need to have led a corps to be considered for the top job as army chief.