Corruption charges: NAB files reference in Safa Gold Mall case

Space allotted for service area used to create extra floors

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday filed a case against officials of the federal capital civic agency and the owner of an upscale shopping mall as they were discovered to be involved in massive building violations.

Charges have been filed against former Deputy Director General of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Ghulam Murtaza Malik, BCS Director Khalil Sumroo, Deputy Director Muhammad Ammar Idrees, BCS Assistant Director Khadim Hussain, and Safa Gold Mall owner Rana Abdul Qayyum.

Those involved, in connivance with each other, managed to use the space legally allotted for the services area from the permitted limit of the mall just to construct additional floors of the building in violation of the terms approved for the use of land.



The suspect Rana Abdul Qayyum being the owner of the plot, knowingly and with criminal intent, in collusion with CDA officials gained illegal favours and undue benefits which caused the authorities a loss of about Rs1.07 billion.

The suspects are already in custody of NAB. They were arrested in November 2017 and remained in NAB custody until November 27, 2017. After which, the suspects were sent to judicial custody.

NAB Rawalpindi DG Irfan Naeem Mangi said that in light of the directions of NAB Chairman, Justice Javed Iqbal, all out efforts are being made to recover stolen money from thieves and corrupt individuals.

He added that NAB Chairman has categorically directed NAB officials of all ranks to proactively pursue corruption cases as per NAB’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) transparently and on merit and take necessary measures to arrest individuals found to be involved in corruption and proclaimed offenders in order to eradicate corruption from the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2018.