NAB to file reference against major housing project

After approval from NAB chairperson, reference will be filed before accountability court

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has decided to file a reference against the owners and administration of the Eden housing projects.

The accused nominated in the reference include Dr Amjad, Murtaza Amjad, Mustafa Amjad and Anam Amjad. The filing of the reference was approved during a meeting of the Regional Board meeting of NAB Lahore. The meeting was chaired by NAB Director General Saleem Shahzad. The deputy prosecutor general, all the directors and other senior officers participated in the meeting.

The reference will be forwarded to NAB headquarters for final approval. After approval from NAB Chairperson Javed Iqbal, it will be filed before the accountability court.

The accused persons had collected Rs18.960 billion, allegedly through public fraud and fled the country afterwards. This development took place despite NAB requesting that their names be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Last September, FIA arrested Murtaza Amjad from Dubai. However, he was freed afterwards due to the lack of sufficient evidence. The scandal was unearthed in 2013.

The properties owned by Eden were worth Rs22 billion. These included 333 kanals of land in Mauza Baghrian and Dharmachand, 404 kanals and four-marla of commercial land in Edenabad on Defence Road, 111 commercial plots in Eden Housing and a plaza in Eden Tower, Main Boulevard, Gulberg.

There were also eight commercial plots in Eden Canal Villas, two commercial plots measuring four kanals each in Eden City near Lahore airport, two plots measuring 10 marlas each in Eden City, 26 commercial plots in Eden Residencia, College Road, eight kanals luxury bungalow on the Canal Bank Road. Besides all these properties in Lahore, the group has five-marla land at Mauza Tamma in Islamabad.

Speaking on the occasion, NAB DG Saleem Shahzad said regulators were responsible for causing financial loss and mental torment to the public. He said there was a need to introduce strict laws and regulations for development authorities and real estate agents.

He said they would not sit peacefully until the grievances and losses caused to the public are not addressed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2019.