KARACHI – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon in a Rs 5 billion government advertisement distribution scam. NAB officials disclosed this before a Sindh High Court (SHC) bench during the hearing of Memon’s applications for bail in corruption cases and against the placement of his name on the exit control list (ECL). The former minister, who is currently living in self-exile abroad, had filed two applications seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with graft inquiries initiated by NAB against him and the removal of his name from the ECL. Filing comments on Wednesday, the accountability bureau said it had initiated an inquiry against the Pakistan People’s Party leader on a written complaint of the provincial information secretary Zeenat Jahan. The bureau said an inquiry had revealed that as provincial information minister, Memon had approved the award of government advertisements worth Rs 5 billion to seven advertising companies. It was also revealed that he misused his official authority and had misappropriated Rs 3 billion in advertisements award, thus causing a loss to the national coffers. Headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, the division bench took the report on record and adjourned the hearing for three weeks due to absence of Memon’s lawyer.