Corrupt land dealings: Lashari booked in OCA case

Builders also nominated in separate FIRs filed by FIA


Our Correspondents May 03, 2017
Builders also nominated in separate FIRs filed by FIA. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday formally registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a former chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and former members of the civic authority’s board in the One Constitution Avenue case.

The investigation agency also nominated Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, the chief executive officer (CEO) of BNP (Private) Limited, the builder of the project. The agency separately booked Ansar Mehmood Gondal, president of the Soan Garden in the Civilian Employees Cooperative Housing Society.

The FIRs was registered under various sections of Pakistan Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides former CDA chairman Kamran Lashari, the FIA booked ex-member planning Brigadier (retired) Nusrat, ex-member finance Kamran Qureshi, ex-member admin Shaukat Mohammad, ex-member engineering Moin Kakakhel.

The investigation agency also nominated then additional legal advisor Rai Nawaz Kharal, former director estate Habibur Rehman Gillani, former director Project Management Dr Faisal Awan as suspects.

The FIR alleged that instead of constructing a five-star hotel, the builder constructed luxury apartment and sold it to different buyers illegally and extracted billions of rupees from the public by way of cheating and fraud.

However, the investigation agency is not in a position to arrest the former CDA officials since they have recently obtained a restraining order from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Likewise, the BNP CEO Pasha also enjoys similar protection against the arrest.

Meanwhile, Gondal and three other officials of the society were booked for misusing their official positions for “personal gain” and causing “wrongful loss’’ to the society, dishonesty in issuing allotment letters for commercial and residential plots’ in ‘H Block of the society without securing ownership of land in the name of the society.

CDA takes action against deputy director

Meanwhile, the CDA took disciplinary action against Planning Wing Deputy Director Muhammad Arshad Chauhan for embezzlement in CNG stations and industrial plots on Tuesday.

According to a notification issued on Tuesday, the disciplinary proceeding under CDA Employees Services Regulations 1992 had been initiated against Chauhan on October 30, 2014, when he was working as CDA Planning Wing Deputy Director at that time.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2017. 

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