NAB annual report reveals mega corruption scandals

Anti-graft watchdog holds month-long ceremonies to spread awareness among youth

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has issued its performance report for 2018 on the day of International Anti-Corruption Day to be commemorated on December 9 (today).

NAB Lahore had organising different ceremonies throughout the last month mostly involving youth and students to raise awareness against corruption.

The performance report revealed that NAB Lahore had made recoveries amounting upto Rs1.991 billion during the current year.



The anti-graft watchdog executed 204 arrests warrants, authorised 196 inquiries, disposed of 102 inquiries, authorised 125 investigations and disposed of 42 investigations. It also filed 29 references against the accused of mega corruption cases.

During the year, it had initiated a few of the biggest mega corruption scandals of the country’s history involving former prime minister, former chief minster, the US ambassador, federal ministers, senior bureaucrats, businessmen and others.

The cases included the management of Eden Housing and Developers in which accused Dr Muhammad Amjad was found involved in a corruption of Rs13 billion.

In DHA City scam accused Hammad Arshad was found involved in the embezzlement of Rs13 billion. The management of MNM scam including the main accused Ahmed Siyal, Muhammad Faisal, Muhammad Jahangir, Ateeq Ahmad and Naeem Khalid were found involved in a corruption of Rs10.711 billion.

The management of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), Lahore Casa Developers and the officers and officials of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) were facing the cases of embezzlement of huge amounts.

Former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, Fawad Hassan Fawad and Ahad Khan Cheema were found involved in the corruption of an amount of Rs3.399 billion. Ex-chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), (illegal investment with High Links Capital (Pvt) Ltd) in which accused Asif Hashmi was found involved in the corruption of Rs1.321 billion.

Former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad and others are also facing cases of making assets beyond their known source of income. Accused Riaz Qadeer Butt of Haq Bahu Sugar Mills (Pvt) Ltd, was found involved in the corruption of Rs856 million. Former senator and federal finance minister Ishaq Dar was found involved in the corruption of Rs834 million.

In the case of misappropriation in the purchase of high sulphur furnace oil (HSFO), accused Qaiser Abbas, Dilbar Hussain and Ghulam Shabir were found involved in Rs400 million scam.

The investigations of the Punjab Saaf Pani Company scam revealed that accused Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, Zahirurddin Khan and Engineer Qamarul Islam Raja were found involved in the corruption of Rs345 million. In the case of Makkah Sugar Mills (Pvt) Ltd, accused Riaz Qadeer Butt was found involved in the embezzlement of Rs346 million.

In Capital Vision Securities (PVT) Ltd scam, accused Mirza Riazullah Baig and Mirza Ejazullah Baig embezzled an amount of Rs210 million. In the scam of Shuja Town Housing Society, Sahiwal, Sardar Zahid Shuja and Niaz Ahmad were found involved in the corruption of Rs200 million.

In Pak Swedish Teachers Associations scam, accused Haroon Michael Yousaf, Muhammad Sameer Ilyas and Babu Abdul Quyyum embezzled an amount of Rs105 million.

In the case of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation and National Industrial Parks Development, accused Khalid Mahmood Chadda, Muhammad Mohsin Syed and Muhammad Zubair were involved in the corruption of Rs82 million.



In the case of Lahore Parking Company (LePark), accused Hafiz Mian Numan, Taseer Ahmed and Muhammad Faisal Ahad were found involved in the corruption of Rs80 million.

In other mega scandals, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz Sharif and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar were found involved in Avenfield Sharif Prosperities and Khayaban-e-Amin Housing Society. Accused Allah Ditta Hira and Sahir Rasheed were found involved in the corruption of Rs4.5 billion was involved.

Vice President of NBP Main Branch Lahore scam, the accused person Usman Saeed and corruption of 838 million rupees was involved.

HIGHLIGHT

In mega scandals, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz Sharif and Captain (retd) Safdar were found involved