Bad apples: K-P official, others arrested for embezzlement
NAB to seek physical remand from accountability court
NAB to seek physical remand from accountability court PHOTO: NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY BUREAU
ISLAMABAD:
A number of officials including a serving additional secretary have been arrested in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), for allegedly embezzling funds from developmental projects in Mansehra and Torghar districts.
According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the men were arrested by the K-P unit of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
According to the bureau, Dr Ambar Ali, planning additional secretary and director-general (DG) monitoring and evaluation was arrested, along with Independent Monitoring Unit DG Zulfaqar Khan, Audit Deputy Director Muhammad Aslam Rafique, contractor Abdul Mustafa, Infrastructure Tehsil Officer Muhammad Bashir, accountant Maqboolur Rehman, Assistant Tehsil Officer Abdul Hameed, and sub-engineers Muhammad Raziq and Azhar Jalil.
The men allegedly misused authority and embezzled Rs100 million through ‘ghost’ projects and sub-standard developmental schemes in districts Mansehra and Torghar.
During the inquiry, it was learnt that under directives from the prime minster, funds were allocated for developmental schemes in NA-21 (Mansehra-II). Under the ‘Peoples Works Programme-II’, the government allocated Rs225 million for the execution of 567 schemes, including construction and rehabilitation of roads, streets, and wells.
It is alleged that during their respective tenures as deputy commissioner of Mansehra, Ambar Ali and Zulfaqar Khan, in connivance with others, committed the embezzlement.
The accused approved schemes and allowed payments to contractors without following the set rules. NAB said its K-P bureau is actively pursuing the case.
The arrested men will be presented before an accountability court to obtain their physical remand into NAB custody, the press release added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2015.
A number of officials including a serving additional secretary have been arrested in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), for allegedly embezzling funds from developmental projects in Mansehra and Torghar districts.
According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the men were arrested by the K-P unit of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
According to the bureau, Dr Ambar Ali, planning additional secretary and director-general (DG) monitoring and evaluation was arrested, along with Independent Monitoring Unit DG Zulfaqar Khan, Audit Deputy Director Muhammad Aslam Rafique, contractor Abdul Mustafa, Infrastructure Tehsil Officer Muhammad Bashir, accountant Maqboolur Rehman, Assistant Tehsil Officer Abdul Hameed, and sub-engineers Muhammad Raziq and Azhar Jalil.
The men allegedly misused authority and embezzled Rs100 million through ‘ghost’ projects and sub-standard developmental schemes in districts Mansehra and Torghar.
During the inquiry, it was learnt that under directives from the prime minster, funds were allocated for developmental schemes in NA-21 (Mansehra-II). Under the ‘Peoples Works Programme-II’, the government allocated Rs225 million for the execution of 567 schemes, including construction and rehabilitation of roads, streets, and wells.
It is alleged that during their respective tenures as deputy commissioner of Mansehra, Ambar Ali and Zulfaqar Khan, in connivance with others, committed the embezzlement.
The accused approved schemes and allowed payments to contractors without following the set rules. NAB said its K-P bureau is actively pursuing the case.
The arrested men will be presented before an accountability court to obtain their physical remand into NAB custody, the press release added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2015.