Three more arrested in motorway funds scam
PHOTO: FILE
Three more people were picked up on Sunday for questioning in the Rs2.14 billion land acquisition scam concerning the construction of the M6 Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway.
Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested three persons associated with Matiari Deputy Commissioner Adnan Rashid who is under arrest for investigations into the misappropriation case.
An ACE team on Sunday rounded up DC's secretary Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, the DC office's accountant Syed Jurial Ali Shah and DC's driver Wazeer Bugti from Matiari.
The team also reportedly took away some documents and CCTV recordings of the DC house. The sources in ACE have hinted that a politically influential family of Matiari is also under the radar, although they have not yet been made part of the investigation.The ACE has already notified a Combined Investigation Team (CIT) to probe the issue in 10 days. Earlier on November 16, an ACE team arrested the DC from Matiari and produced him before the anti-corruption court in Hyderabad, which granted his five-day investigation remand, which will complete on November 21.
The matter's inquiry began when the Sindh chief secretary Sohail Rajput received reports about the misappropriation of Rs1.82 billion from the National Highway Authority's (NHA's) funds deposited in the DC's account for land acquisition. Rajput formed an inquiry committee on November 13 headed by additional finance secretary Shahmeer Bhutto and chairman Sindh Public Service Commission Nazeer Ahmed Qureshi to investigate the issue.
It emerged during the inquiry that the NHA had transferred Rs4.09 billion, which accrued to Rs4.63 billion over a period of time due to interest payments, to the DC's account.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2022.