Court extends 10-day physical remand of ex-chief of LePark

The court also extended judicial remand of Fawad Hassan Fawad and others in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday allowed a 10-day physical remand of former chief of Lahore Parking Company (LePark) Hafiz Nauman in a corruption case. He will be presented before the court on December 8.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore had arrested him over allegations of corruption and corrupt practices. The investigation conducted so far revealed the prima facie involvement of accused Nauman, being the chairman of Lahore Parking Company in the commission of offences as defined under section 9(a) and Schedule of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

The accused actively participated in the operations of the company and visited the parking sites of Green Parking Dubai (the only Parking company in the joint venture). Thereafter, accused Nauman received a letter from Green Parking Dubai that an agreement had been signed without their participation and fraudulent misrepresentation by AGCN/NTG Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, whereas, the accused being the chairman board of directors deliberately accorded the approval for illegal change of joint venture partner.

Moreover, accused Hafiz Mian Muhammad Nauman, being chairman despite having knowledge of illegal signing of the agreement without approval of Board of Directors (BODs); deliberately, did not take any action which reflected his connivance in the commission of the offence. Nauman also actively participated in physical verification and inspection of illegal partner ZTE Corporation and proceeded to China, as well.

Nauman, being the chairman of LePark, failed to exercise his authority and deliberately did not took any action for not handing over all the 246 parking sites as per agreement and whereby only handed over 33 lucrative parking sites to NTG/AGCN Pakistan which caused hefty financial loss to the government kitty. He also failed to exercise his authority and in a malafide manner did not ensure the capital investment to be made by NTG/AGCN Pakistan and committed criminal negligence by compromising the projected revenues.

Meanwhile, another accountability court extended the judicial remand of senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad, former director general Lahore Development Authority Ahad Cheema and five others in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam. The court extended the judicial remand of all the accused of another 14 days with the direction to produce them again on December 13. Accountability Court Judge Munir Ahmad conducted the proceedings. Besides Fawad and Ahad, Shahid Shafiq Faridi, Imtiaz Haider, Bilal Qidwai and others were produced in the court.

The NAB had already filed a reference against Cheema and five others over their alleged involvement in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam. According to the reference, Cheema caused a loss of Rs660 million to the national exchequer in the Ashiana scam. The project cost increased to Rs3.4 billion, while 61,000 people who had applied for plots in the project suffered. However, the NAB had not filed a reference against Fawad Hassan Fawad in the scam yet. The anti-graft watchdog has also arrested Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in connection with Ashiana scam and he was on physical remanded.

The contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs14 billion contract to Lahore Casa Developers which was ineligible for the contract. Due to allegedly illegal cancellation of the contract, the government had to pay damages to the contractor. The cancellation of the contract also delayed the project, resulting in cost escalation of billions of rupees.