NAB tightens noose in RDA scam case

Seeks asset details of 48 individuals, including current and former RDA DGs

RAWALPINDI:

In a mega financial scandal involving the alleged transfer of over Rs2 billion through CDRs from the official accounts of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and contractors' security deposits, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has tightened the noose around 48 individuals, including the current RDA director general, eight former DGs, and other senior officials.

According to letters issued by NAB, asset details have been sought from the director generals of multiple development authorities, including CDA Islamabad, Gwadar, Lahore, Karachi, Malir, Peshawar, Quetta, and RDA.

Those asked to provide details include current RDA DG Kanza Murtaza, former DGs Amira Khan, Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed Dhawla, late Abdul Sattar Isani, Nadeem Ahmed Abro, Gulzar Hussain Shah, Captain Tahir Zafar Abbasi, and Saif Anwar Jappa, along with former Director Admin and Finance Shahid Marath, Amir Sohail Kaifi, Khalid Javed Goraya, Malik Ghazanfar Ali, Saba Gul, and Asif Mahmood Janjua.

Other individuals named include Babar Yaqoob Khan, Robina Shaheen, Adnan Shahzad, Shabbir Hussain, Yasir Mahmood, Khawaja Arshad Javed, Raja Nauman Mahmood, Muhammad Imran Khan, Hashim Sher Raja, Atif Mahmood, Muhammad Hasnain Yousaf, Shamim Akhtar, Muhammad Saqib, Fazal Naeem, Raqia Naeem, Muhammad Huzaila, Samra Yasin, Rashid Rizwan, Shahida Parveen, Saniya Majeed, Sagheer Hussain, Wasim Qaiser, Nazia, Muhammad Afzal, Hamad Jamal, Raja Arsalan, Ehtesham Ali Qureshi, late Muhammad, Junaid Taj, Muhammad Taj, Mubeen Taj, and Ehtesham Taj.

NAB has directed that asset details be submitted to Assistant Director NAB Rawalpindi-Islamabad Hamza Iqbal. The information has been sought under Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 as part of an ongoing inquiry into the RDA financial scandal and alleged embezzlement of contractors' security deposits.

Official residence sealed

On the other hand, the official residence of the late Junaid Taj Bhatti, Director General of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), Sialkot, and former Deputy Director of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), who allegedly died by suicide in his office, was formally vacated in Civil Lines, Rawalpindi, on Thursday.

Under the supervision of an investigative agency, the government residence (37-A) was sealed a day earlier. Personal belongings of the deceased officer were removed from the premises and transferred to another location. Despite the fact that the late officer's widow had formally applied to the RDA Director General to continue residing in the official accommodation, the residence was instead allotted to another RDA officer.

It is pertinent to note that during the late officer's tenure at the RDA, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been conducting an inquiry into the alleged transfer of funds exceeding Rs2 billion from an official government account to other accounts through CDRs.