Rs2b scam costs RDA chief her posting

Punjab CS transfers Kinza Murtaza; Pindi commissioner takes additional charge

RAWALPINDI:

The aftershocks of a mega financial scandal at the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) are now coming to light as the Punjab Chief Secretary on Saturday removed Kinza Murtaza, Director General of the RDA, from her position.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Amir Khattak has been given additional charge as Director General of the RDA, while it is likely that former Directors General and Directors of Administration and Finance, previously posted at the RDA, may also be relieved of their current assignments.

According to a notification issued by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Kinza Murtaza has been transferred and appointed as Director General of the Agency for Barani Areas Development (ABAD). During her tenure, a mega financial scandal, amounting to over Rs2 billion in RDA's history, came to light.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has requested detailed records of assets from Kinza Murtaza, seven former DGs of RDA, and other officers, totalling 48 individuals, across Lahore, Karachi, Malir, Gwadar, Rawalpindi Development Authority, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Despite 10 months having passed since the fact-finding inquiry committee, established by the Chief Secretary to investigate the RDA financial scandal, was set up, its report has yet to be made public. NAB has already made significant progress in the investigation: two individuals have been imprisoned, one has entered a plea bargain, and funds exceeding Rs2b were transferred from RDA's official accounts via the Central Directorate of Revenue (CDR). Additionally, amounts from the contractor security deposit account were also diverted to other accounts.

Currently, 143 illegal housing schemes are operating within areas controlled by the RDA. Meanwhile, officers who were serving at the RDA during the period of the financial scandal, including the Director General and Director of Administration and Finance, are presently posted in other organisations. Authorities are considering relieving them from their current positions.

Several officials under scrutiny

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, Asif Mahmood Janjua and others.

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.