NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry presiding over the executive board meeting. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: The top anti-corruption watchdog in the country on Wednesday decided to file references against a former chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) who allegedly made illegal investments, causing a loss worth millions to the national exchequer.
The body also decided to launch four investigations into various cases. An inquiry into the Mangla Dam Raising Project was also launched.
The Executive Board (EB) of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) met at the body’s headquarters on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by NAB Chief Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.
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The EB decided to file a corruption reference against Syed Asif Hashmi, the former chairman of the ETPB and others for allegedly making illegal investments with Highlink Capital (Pvt) Limited. The investment caused the state a loss of Rs1.3 billion.
Of the four investigations authorised, the first investigation was against the director and guarantors of Umair Steel Industries (Pvt) Ltd Lahore and others. The case referred to NAB by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the suspects were accused of wilful loan default causing a loss of Rs52.29 million to the national exchequer.
The second Investigation was launched against the management of Power Pack company and others for wilful loan default worth Rs164.83 million. The case had been referred to NAB by SBP.
The third Investigation was authorised against the Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh MPA Abdul Rauf Khoso and others for allegedly misusing their authority and accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.
Moreover, he is accused of misappropriating government land in connivance with officials of the Revenue Department, in District Kashmore at Kandhkot causing a loss of Rs550 million to the national exchequer.
The fourth Investigation was authorised against Saeed Ahmed Jagrani, the former director of NARA Canal (SIDA) Mirpurkhas along with officers of NASRAT Division, Sindh Irrigation Department, and others.
The suspects had allegedly misused their authority to make illegal appointments, carrying out substandard work of stone pitching at the NASRAT Canal, causing a loss of Rs9 billion to the national exchequer.
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Apart from launching fresh investigations, the EB also decided to authorise two inquiries.
The first inquiry was authorised against Knowledge Kinetic Programme (KKP) Pvt Limited Lahore and officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for alleged irregularities in the construction of Mangla Dam Raising Project (MDRP).
The irregularities reportedly caused a loss of Rs4 billion to the national exchequer.
The second inquiry was authorised against officials of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and others for guiding PPL top acquire shares of MND Exploration and Production Limited at exorbitant rates in the year 2012 causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.
The board also decided to re-authorise an investigation against Inayatullah, in charge PRC Sariab Quetta Authorities of Food Department and others. The suspects were allegedly involved in corruption apart from embezzling wheat Bags from PRC Sariab Quetta during 2014-15, causing a loss of Rs278.7 million.
An inquiry against Noor Muhammad Laghari, the former secretary of Sindh Special Education Department, and others was reauthorised for alleged illegal recruitment, misuse of funds allocated for the purchase of uniforms and daily allowances of disabled people, causing a loss of Rs250 million.
The executive board decided to close cases against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Syed Iftikhar Shah for lack of incriminating evidence.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2017.
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