NAB arrests four accused in wheat scam

Culprits allegedly misappropriated govt wheat stocks worth of Rs800m

SUKKUR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Sukkur has apprehended four accused persons allegedly involved in misappropriating government wheat stock worth of Rs800 million during raids on Thursday night as part of its nationwide crackdown against the wheat mafia.

According to a statement issued by the anti-graft buster on Friday, the NAB’s regional office in Sukkur, on the directions of NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, is investigating the wheat scam and vigorously pursuing the wheat mafia and its collusion with the officers and officials of the Sindh Food Department.

It stated that further raids are underway to apprehend other members of the mafia for misappropriating the government wheat stock worth of Rs500 million.

NAB Sukkur has extended its investigation to the culprits in the Sindh Food Department, who facilitated the mafia in the scam.

NAB Sukkur has already recovered Rs10.5 billion from the mafia and remitted the same to the Sindh Food Department.

In addition to these recoveries already made, NAB Sukkur has so far submitted eight references in court against 39 accused, including officers/officials of the Sindh Food Department and private persons.

“NAB, Sukkur is actively implementing the vision of worthy NAB chairman in letter and spirit,” it stated.

Earlier last month, NAB had summoned Pakistan Peoples Party senior leader Nisar Khuhro in a case related to corruption in the Sindh Food Department.

Khuhro is accused of providing billions of rupees wheat to flour mills on six-month credit. Khuhro was the provincial food minister when the wheat was given on credit to the millers.

Talking to the media persons after appearing at the NAB DG Office in Sukkur, the senior PPP leader said that he had replied in confidence to the NAB queries and whatever they asked. “An inquiry against me is under way and it is nothing new for me.”

He said that he had to wait for four hours before being questioned.

The Sindh government had decided to forward the case of alleged wheat theft worth of Rs7 billion from its warehouses in the province to NAB to investigate it thoroughly.

About 168,000 metric tonnes of wheat went missing from the government warehouses in the province. The wheat worth Rs7 billion was stolen in February, according to a report. Bags of wheat worth Rs450 million had gone missing last year in November.