NAB takes Elahi’s principal secretary into custody from jail

Says Muhammad Khan Bhatti is involved in Rs1b corruption scam

LAHORE:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has arrested Muhammad Khan Bhatti, the principal secretary to former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, from jail in a corruption scam worth Rs1 billion.

The development comes two days after Elahi was arrested against the court’s order by the Islamabad police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) when he was on his way to Zahoor Elahi Road escorted by heavy contingent of Lahore police.

A team with the court's permission had visited Central Jail, Gujranwala to interrogate Bhatti and served him arrest warrants issued by NAB director general.

Allegedly Bhatti used his influence and position in connivance with Elahi and other accused persons to appoint their confidant Mahr Azmat Hayat as XEN of Punjab Highways Department Gujrat Division and then promoted him to the post of Superintending Engineer Gujrat Circle.

Read also: Elahi’s former aide Bhatti arrested again by Punjab ACE

Elahi allegedly in connivance with Bhatti and other accused persons, disregarding rules, “approved 116x Road development schemes under supplementary grants with the ulterior motives of receiving bribe/kickbacks”.

Accused Elahi, Moonis Elahi and Bhatti got awarded contracts of road development works to their nominated contractors through Hayat.

The accused persons allegedly issued payments to the contractors without work done at site for the purpose of collecting bribe/kickbacks from the contractors.

The amounts of bribe/kickbacks were collected by Elahi, Moonis and Bhatti through Hayat and Sohail Asghar Awan (personal secretary of Moonis). NAB has taken him into custody from jail.

He will be presented before an accountability court in Lahore for physical remand.