ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday filed corruption reference against Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwala, his brother and other six accused in the Accountability Court for their alleged involvement in illegal allotment plots of the Overseas Cooperative Housing Society Limited (OCHSL) (Kidney Hill) case.
According to a document submitted before the Accountability Court, the bureau has nominated Mandviwala, his brother Nadeem Hakeem Mandviwala, Muhammad Ajaz Haroon, former secretary Overseas Cooperative Housing Society Karachi, and former chairman Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Abdul Qadir Shiwani private person, Triq Mehmood private person, Abdul Qayyum private person, and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, in the reference pertaining to multi-billion rupees fake bank accounts cases. Sources confirmed that the NAB has nominated Mandviwala in the reference, and filed it in the court. However, when contacted the NAB spokesman for his version, he denied filling of corruption reference against Mandviwala.
Similarly, the official statement issued by the NAB on December 29 after its Executive Board Meeting (EBM) in which the bureau approved OCHSL (Kidney Hill) reference did not contain Mandviwala’s name.
The NAB has filed reference against the accused on their involvement in illegal allotment of plots in the OCHSL Karachi, and payment of those plots through fake bank accounts, which incurred huge losses to the national exchequer.
According to another document submitted before the Accountability Court, the accused Haroon and Saleem Mandviwalla in connivance with each other embezzled the government land through illegal and fraudulent allotment of plots of the OCHSL and received unlawful and illegal gains of Rs144.2 million from fake bank accounts namely A-one International and Lucky International under the garb of business deal or property transaction with Abdul Ghani Majeed,” the document says.
It says, “the accused Mandviwalla coordinated the said property deal and received illegal gains of Rs64.2 million out of total crime proceeds of Rs144.2 million and utilized the same for his personal gains by using mandate to operate his brother company account no 6500002687 titled Mandviwalla brothers. The accused Mandviwalla utilized same account for purchase of 3,108,000 shared of Mangla View Resort Pvt Ltd, valuing Rs31,080,000 in the name of his employee/associate Tariq Mehmood.”
It says that “the above said amount from which shares were purchased belonged to accused Mandvidwalla. There is great likelihood that above mentioned shared will be sold out with purpose to create hardship in the recovery of the crime proceeds. Therefore it is requested that freezing order passed by Director General (DG) NAB on November 11, 2020 be confirmed.”
The Accountability Court-I judge, Muhammad Bashir, on November 24 endorsed the freezing order.
In a tweet, Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla said, "I would like to congratulate chairman NAB and Engineer Irfan Naeem Mangi for filing long awaited reference on me I would urge chairman NAB again not to harass private citizens and business persons of Pakistan NAB should only focus on public office corruption not business of Pakistan."
In a text message to Business Recorder, he said, "I felicitate NAB on filing a reference".
He said he would defend in the court. NAB has been making a media trial on false allegations for a long time.
"Thanks, after my statements, NAB has filed a reference," he added.
He concluded, "I stand on my stance regarding NAB".
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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