Corruption charges: FIA arrests four ex-officers of CDA’s land directorate

Officers misused authority to allot additional plots to some Sangjiani affectees

ISLAMABAD: A federal investigation body on Tuesday arrested four former officials of the civic body’s land directorate for allegedly allotting plots illegally and double-allotting them, causing a loss of millions to the exchequer.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered a case against six officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) under sections 109, 409, 420, 468, 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 5(2) of PCA.

Apart from officers of CDA, the investigation body booked nine land affectees because they ‘managed’ and secured ‘dual’ benefits in violation of CDA’s policies.

The Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) of the FIA during its inquiry found that Land and Estate’s (L&E) former deputy director general (DDG) Abdul Salam Shah, deputy director (Land and Rehabilitation L&R) Asad Ali, assistant director (L&R) Asghar Ali, Admin Officer (L&R) Raja Shoaib Mallal, CDA assistant Mubashar Hussain Shah, and dealing assistant (L&R) Khizar Hayyat had allegedly illegally allotted nine plots measuring 30x70 feet in sector I-11/2 to different affectees of moza Sangjani in 2016.

While these affectees were genuine, they had been compensated by the authority in 1997. On Tuesday, FIA arrested four of these officers including Abdul, Asghar, Mallal, and Mubashir. However, two other officers including Hayyat and Asad, are still at large.

“The affectees were allotted nine plots including plot no 1,573; 1,574; 1,579; 1,580; 1,581; 1,586; 1,588; 1,589; and 1,590 in Sector I-11/2. However they were already allotted plots no 1,473-C; 1,474-C; 1,475; 1,476 and 1,477 of size 30x60 in Sector I-11/2 in 1997,” reads the first information report (FIR).

It further stated that these affectees were only entitled to receive five plots as compensation for their land as per the affectee award list of 1990/91.

This is not the first time that these officers have found themselves in the crosshairs of law enforcers after they were subject to at least two departmental inquiries on charges of corruption, malpractice, and double allotments. These inquiries are yet to conclude.

Meanwhile, FIA’s ACC Wing SHO Rana Akram said that he is investigating the matter.

“We will produce them [arrested suspects] before the court on Thursday and seek their remand,” he said.

The CDA officers had in 2016 allotted nine plots to land affectees including Tahir Mehmood Abbasi, Aamir Mehmood Abbasi, Babar Mehmood Abbasi and Musarrat — all of whom were land affectees of Moza Sangjiani under a package deal for 93.15 Kanals of land.

According to section 5 and 18 of the deal between affectees and CDA, an affected whose land measures more than four Kanals was entitled to receive only one plot and not more than one residential plot could be allotted to any affected on the award list Of 1990/1991 for their land or house.

However, the FIR adds, the CDA officers misused their authority, for their ulterior motives and in connivance with the affectees along with Ibrar Abbasi, Naseerud Din, Mumraiz Khan and Zulfiqar Hussain to allot additional plots.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2018.