Daily Times

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore arrested accused Babu Abdul Qayyum, Chief of Staff of an international NGO named Pakistan Swedish Teachers Association (PSTA), for misappropriation of funds in connivance with the general secretary and finance secretary of the same NGO.

According to a NAB spokesman, Babu Abdul Qayyum was co-accused in embezzlement of Rs 48.621 million. Other co-accused included Haroon Michael Yousaf, General Secretary PSTA and Muhammad Sameer Ilyas, Finance Secretary of PSTA. The PSTA used to receive foreign aid determined to welfare activities in Pakistan from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through Pan Asia Cooperation Society (PACS).

The NAB Lahore received an application in September, 2016, against the accused for fraudulent transfer of foreign grants meant for public welfare from PSTA’s account to their private joint account. The NAB Lahore authorised complaint verification in November and in December, 2016, a proper inquiry launched against the accused for embezzlement of welfare funds.

The PSTA was registered with Pakistan in, 1979, and the accused Haroon being the signatory transferred foreign grants from PSTA accounts to their joint bank account in connivance with Muhammd Sameer Ilyas. The accused managed to embezzle around Rs 160 million by different bank transactions from which Rs48.621 million has been proved by the banking transactions from bank account of PSTA to their joint account, which is an evident proof of misappropriation of huge amount that was meant for development work in Pakistan.