CDA alleged Khan had contracted several agreements on behalf of authority with private firms and leased out CDA land to them unlawfully and without the approval of the authority. DESIGN: MUHAMMAD SUHAIB
The scale of illegalities committed by a CDA officer who was recently terminated from service has taken city managers by surprise.
The CDA on Thursday moved the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Islamabad Police against former Arts and Craft Village Operations director Shariq Khan for the initiation of formal investigations and the retrieval of important office files and records of several projects that he took home after being sacked.
Through separate applications submitted to the FIA and the Aabara Police Station, the city managers alleged Khan had contracted several agreements on behalf of authority with private firms and leased out CDA land to them unlawfully and without the approval of the authority.
“[Khan] signed fake agreements with individuals and firms on behalf of authority after forging official documents and rented out precious land to them in the Arts and Craft Village,” said the application.
The application also says that the CDA tried to retrieve the official records from him several times, but he refused to turn them over.
However, the fate of an affected firm, The Gymkhana, now hangs in the balance. The firm spent around Rs19 million to establish an art gallery and other facilities at the Arts and Crafts Village on the basis of licenses issued by the CDA, which the authority now claims are fake and were illegally issued by Khan.
The owners on The Gymkhana, US nationals of Pakistani origin, claim they had invested without knowledge of the fact that the deal was fraudulent.
Khan’s alleged skills at forgery far predate the current imbroglio, but oddly enough, the application submitted with the police makes no mention of the fake credentials he submitted to the CDA at the time of his appointment at the CDA in 2008.
Documents available with The Express Tribune say that Khan had submitted an MBA degree from the University of California (UC), Irvine at the time he was hired. However, when UC Irvine was contacted for degree verification, their registrar wrote back, “All four officials’ signatures [on the transcript] are incorrect or forged for that time period.” The university administration pointed out six inconsistencies in the degree Khan submitted, including the student identification number and the absence of the registrar’s signature from the degree.
The diploma and transcript Khan provided were not issued by the university, UC Irvine Student Services Specialist Winnie Rafael said when was asked to confirm the authenticity of Khan’s degree.
The documents also show how Khan doctored CDA board decisions pertaining to his appointment, title of his responsibility, upgradation of his post, and perks and privileges he entitled himself to while serving in the authority.
However, insiders believe that Khan, while guilty of many wrongdoings, is being made into a scapegoat to protect bigger fish.
“The CDA should broaden the scope of investigations. The CDA board member that consistently backed Khan until his sacking should also be investigated,” said a senior CDA official.
Taking to The Express Tribune, CDA Spokesperson Asim Khichi said an application for registration of an FIR and initiation of formal investigations against the accused had been filed with the FIA and Islamabad Police.
He said the current CDA management believes in transparency and whoever is found involved in illegal practices will be brought to book.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2013.
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