Guesthouses: FIA arrests ‘accomplice’ in Rs4.6 million fraud

Recovers fake press cards, bank stamps.

LAHORE:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday obtained a four-day physical remand of a man suspected of facilitating Rs4.6 million embezzlement from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

FIA anti corruption circle officials said that Maulana Hafiz Rafique Tahir and Muhammad Suleman Awan, a former care taker at a Wapda guesthouse were suspected of Rs4.6 million fraud on Wapda.

They said while Tahir had been arrested, Suleman was still at large.

They said that fake press cards of NNI and CNN, a Pakistan Railways accreditation card, a Directorate General of Public Relations card, a Lahore Press Club card and a Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists card were recovered from Tahir’s possession. Fake stamps of the National Bank of Pakistan and Wapda were also recovered from him.

According to the FIR stated Awan, who had looked after a Wapda guesthouse in Shadman, a VIP guesthouse on Upper Mall, a hotel on Zafar Ali Road and single officers’ hostel in Kot Lakhpat, had misappropriated Rs4.654 million in room rentals during July 2008 and August 2010. They said Tahir had helped him by preparing fake and tampered bank deposit slips.

Federal Investigation Agency officials said that the duo also managed guesthouse records at a Wapda office. However, some auditors who detected missing funds, informed the higher authorities. The case was handed over to Wapda Director General (Services) M Zafar, who took it to the FIA. Tahir was arrested on Friday.

Investigation Officer Jameel Ahmed Khan, the FIA ACC assistant director, said he had contacted the departments and media organisations whose cards had been recovered from the accused. He was informed that they had no association with the accused.

FIA is looking for Awan, officials said. They said it had yet to be confirmed if the cards had been used in any fraud.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2012.