Swindlers on the loose: NAB opens probe into money transfer scam
Officials fraudulently diverted Rs21.4 million to people posing as policemen.
LAHORE:
A multi-million-rupee scam has been unearthed in which some police officials, in connivance with employees of the accountant-general’s office and a private bank, fraudulently transferred Rs21.456 million into the accounts of people posing as policemen, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Punjab office has launched a probe into the scam and taken the relevant records into its custody.
The accused have been identified as police constables Shaukat Ali, Tajamal Hussain, Muhammad Ali, Shoaib Sardar, Imran Shah; head constable Sajid Ashraf; clerk Sajawal Ashraf from the Capital City Police Office (CCPO), Lahore; Punjab Highway Patrol constable Gulfam Rasool; personal assistant to deputy director of the Project to Improve Financial Reporting and Auditing (Pifra) Muhammad Adnan; accounts officer of the accountant-general’s office Robansun Pal, key punch operator of the accountant-general’s office Kashif Iqbal; and Mehmood Ahmed and four others including Aziz Asghar, Muhammad Ahmed, Muhammad Shakil and Muhammad Waseem.
According to initial investigations, the accused made 35 transactions and fraudulently transferred the money under various heads from the accountant-general’s office in Lahore, only during the months of July and August 2010. The transactions were made using the codes of the CCPO’s office and the drawing and disbursement officer of the Punjab Highway Patrol’s office.
Sources said that during initial investigations, it appears that most transactions were made to the accounts of ‘sub-inspector’ Uzair Asghar and ‘assistant sub-inspector’ Muhammad Ahmed.
According to records, which are available with The Express Tribune, Rs3 million were transferred into the account of Mian Muhammad Ali; the same amount was also transferred into the accounts of Imran Shah and Sajad Ashraf, Tajamal, Shoukat and Muhammad Shoaib Sardar. Upto Rs2.986 million were transferred into the account of Mehmood Asghar; Rs2.981 million and Rs7.32 million were transferred into the account of Uzair Asghar, Rs5.2 million were transferred into the account of Gulfam Rasool; Rs4.92 million were transferred thrice into the account of Uzair Asghar; Rs23,967 and Rs17,821 were transferred into the account of Mehmood Ahmed; Rs17,821 were transferred twice into the account of Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Shakil; Rs17,602 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Shakil; Rs17,735 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Shakil; Rs18,687 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs11,124 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs18,687 were again transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs18,010 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs19,034 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs18,330 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs18,206 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs22,607 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs58,206 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs62,607 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs2.12 million were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem while the same amount was also fraudulently transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil.
Authorities have recovered Rs11 million from the accused and also managed to block four of these 35 fraudulent transactions, including one worth Rs7.32 million which were to be transferred in account no 0126203037 in Allied Bank Limited, Raiwind Road Branch. The account is titled Uzair Asghar, who is shown as sub-inspector. Similarly, three other transactions were also blocked by the authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2010.
A multi-million-rupee scam has been unearthed in which some police officials, in connivance with employees of the accountant-general’s office and a private bank, fraudulently transferred Rs21.456 million into the accounts of people posing as policemen, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Punjab office has launched a probe into the scam and taken the relevant records into its custody.
The accused have been identified as police constables Shaukat Ali, Tajamal Hussain, Muhammad Ali, Shoaib Sardar, Imran Shah; head constable Sajid Ashraf; clerk Sajawal Ashraf from the Capital City Police Office (CCPO), Lahore; Punjab Highway Patrol constable Gulfam Rasool; personal assistant to deputy director of the Project to Improve Financial Reporting and Auditing (Pifra) Muhammad Adnan; accounts officer of the accountant-general’s office Robansun Pal, key punch operator of the accountant-general’s office Kashif Iqbal; and Mehmood Ahmed and four others including Aziz Asghar, Muhammad Ahmed, Muhammad Shakil and Muhammad Waseem.
According to initial investigations, the accused made 35 transactions and fraudulently transferred the money under various heads from the accountant-general’s office in Lahore, only during the months of July and August 2010. The transactions were made using the codes of the CCPO’s office and the drawing and disbursement officer of the Punjab Highway Patrol’s office.
Sources said that during initial investigations, it appears that most transactions were made to the accounts of ‘sub-inspector’ Uzair Asghar and ‘assistant sub-inspector’ Muhammad Ahmed.
According to records, which are available with The Express Tribune, Rs3 million were transferred into the account of Mian Muhammad Ali; the same amount was also transferred into the accounts of Imran Shah and Sajad Ashraf, Tajamal, Shoukat and Muhammad Shoaib Sardar. Upto Rs2.986 million were transferred into the account of Mehmood Asghar; Rs2.981 million and Rs7.32 million were transferred into the account of Uzair Asghar, Rs5.2 million were transferred into the account of Gulfam Rasool; Rs4.92 million were transferred thrice into the account of Uzair Asghar; Rs23,967 and Rs17,821 were transferred into the account of Mehmood Ahmed; Rs17,821 were transferred twice into the account of Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Shakil; Rs17,602 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Shakil; Rs17,735 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Shakil; Rs18,687 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs11,124 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs18,687 were again transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs18,010 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs19,034 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs18,330 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs18,206 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs22,607 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs58,206 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem; Rs62,607 were transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil; Rs2.12 million were transferred into the account of Muhammad Waseem while the same amount was also fraudulently transferred into the account of Muhammad Shakil.
Authorities have recovered Rs11 million from the accused and also managed to block four of these 35 fraudulent transactions, including one worth Rs7.32 million which were to be transferred in account no 0126203037 in Allied Bank Limited, Raiwind Road Branch. The account is titled Uzair Asghar, who is shown as sub-inspector. Similarly, three other transactions were also blocked by the authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2010.