Illegal sale of land: Court awards prison sentences to six convicts

PESHAWAR: An accountability court has awarded prison sentences to five officials of the revenue department and a citizen and imposed a fine worth Rs65.5 million on them. The six men were convicted for illegally selling government land in Mardan.

The sentence was awarded by accountability court judge Zarqaish Sani on Friday. The revenue officials are Malik Aman, Zahir Shah, head clerks Hazrat Sher and Muhammad Farman and patwari Fazal Malik. Syed Mukamil Shah, a citizen, has also been convicted.

According to National Accountability Bureau, the convicts sold 162 kanals of land and 13 marlas of government property illegally. NAB’s prosecutor said the properties were situated in Katlang and Takht Bhai. A man, identified Syed Akbar Shah, another citizen, had seized the government land.

The prosecutor said Akbar Shah had given a power of attorney to Syed Mukamil to sell the property. However, the latter sold the land in connivance with revenue department officials.

An enquiry was initiated by NAB. After it was completed, a reference worth Rs66 million was filed in an accountability court and the six men were convicted.

As per the court’s ruling, Syed Mukamil was sentenced to six years in prison and has to pay a fine worth Rs12 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2016.