Daily Times

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has detained a number of people in corruption cases.

According to a statement, NAB has arrested accused persons including Ministry of Commerce Employees Cooperative Housing Society (MOCECHS) President Rana Ghulam Farid, MOCECHS former vice president Syed Amir Hussain Shah, MOCECHS General Secretary Mazhar Hussain, MOCECHS former executive member Muhammad Akram Awan, Sunshine Real Estate Marketing Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Arshad and Khushnawaz property dealer.

The accused persons in connivance with each other have been allegedly involved in corruption in the allotment of plots, embezzlement of society funds and illegal award of contracts for development works thus causing loss of billions of rupees to the members/public at large.

As per details, multiple complaints have been received by NAB regarding allegations of misuse of authority in the award of development contracts, allotment of plots and embezzlement of society funds against the management of the society.

During the investigation, it was revealed that MOCECHS President Rana Ghulam Farid, in connivance and collaboration with others, illegally accommodated and awarded contract of consultancy services to Naveed Aslam & Associates without competitive bidding in gross violation of by-laws of the MOCECHS. The society has received millions of rupees from members whereas the same has been embezzled by the accused persons instead of spending on purchase of land and development works of the society. Moreover, accused persons also illegally allotted plots without balloting.

The investigation also revealed that Rana Ghulam Farid in connivance with other accused persons transferred dozens of files amounting millions of rupees on bogus cheques as well as making double allotments.

Furthermore, Ghulam Farid in connivance and collaboration with other accused persons is also allegedly involved in the transfer of 94x memberships on the basis of fake and bogus documents and without the knowledge of owners.

It is also established from the available evidence that the accused persons in connivance with each other have committed an offense of cheated public at large and criminal breach of trust under the provision of NAO, 1999.

On Thursday, the accused were produced before the Accountability Court, Rawalpindi and a seven-day remand was granted by the Accountability Court, Rawalpindi to NAB. NAB Rawalpindi director general has said that in light of the directions of worthy NAB Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal, all efforts are being made to arrest the corrupt and recover looted money as per law.

Published in Daily Times, August 3^rd 2018.