NAB recovers cash, luxury vehicle ‘linked to Cheema’

Laptop taken into custody after his arrest provides a tip-off

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday recovered Rs14.5 million and a vehicle owned by former director general of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Cheema from a show-room on Jail Road.

A NAB official told The Express Tribune that NAB had been analysing Cheema’s laptop taken into custody after his arrest on charges of corruption in Ashiyana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme.  It was then revealed that Cheema had a relation with a vehicle dealer whose showroom is situated at Jail Road.

The official said NAB conducted a raid at the showroom where it recovered a Prado Vehicle “owned by Cheema and costing Rs11 million”.



The accountability bureau says it is investigating the matter further.

Cheema was arrested by NAB in February on allegations of corruption in Ashiyana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme that was initiated as a public-private partnership project to provide homes on subsidised rates. Despite huge investments, the project failed to start.

During investigations, NAB found out that Cheema, in connivance with others, handed over the project to Casa Developers, a company not eligible to run it, against 30 kanals of land as bribe.

The amount to buy the land was paid from an account of Paragon Society.

Moreover, NAB also found Cheema’s assets not justifying his means. He remained in physical custody of NAB for 90 days and is in jail on judicial remand.

The NAB official said that they were investigating the matter further from different angles.