NICL scam: Transparency chief denies wrongdoing

Transparency International Pakistan chief sends replies to the FIA questionnaire in the NICL land purchase scam.

LAHORE: Transparency International (TI)’s Pakistan chief has sent replies to the FIA questionnaire on Wednesday in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) land purchase scam involving Rs2.75 billion, The Express Tribune has learnt.

TI Pakistan chairman Syed Adil Gilani also expressed willingness to appear in person before the Director FIA Punjab, Zafar Ahmad Qureshi, if deemed necessary. He, however, in the same vein hoped that with his replies the agency would not feel it necessary to examine him further.

Sources said Gilani admitted in the letter that Amin Qasim Dada, the NICL director, did come to his office with another man but he rejected allegations that he either struck a bargain with NICL through Dada or made any commitment of giving clean chit to the NICL land deal.

A copy of the reply also sent to the Deputy Director FIA Commercial Banking Circle (CBC), Basharat Mehmood Shahzad, stated that he received questionnaire on December 21 and now that he has sent his replies, he thinks it not necessary to appear in person before the FIA on December 23.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sindh has also sought the record to the Director FIA Punjab regarding two cases vide FIR Nos 24/2010 and 29/2010 registered in Police Station  FIA Anti Corruption Circle (ACC) Lahore in the dubious land purchase deal.

The NAB Sindh has sought details from the FIA including copies of FIRs of two cases, gist of allegations , details of recoveries in cash and details of bank accounts, frozen assets, copies of interim challans, and record concerning this scam taken into custody by FIA  etc. The FIA Punjab has sent a reply to the NAB Sindh but not provided all the required record, sources said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2010.