NAB recovers 562 acres land worth Rs21 billions as plea bargain

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday informed the Accountability Court (AC) that it had recovered 562 acres government land worth Rs21 billions as plea bargain from accused Ahsan Elahi in fake accounts reference.

The court endorsed the plea bargain after inquiry it from the accused.

AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the fake accounts case pertaining to illegal allotment of land. Deputy Prosecutor General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sardar Muzafar Abbasi informed the court that his department had recovered land worth Rs 21 billions from the accused as plea bargain in fake accounts reference.

Ahsan Elahi who was an accused of land grabbing had confessed his crime, he said, adding that the NAB had recovered a total 562 acres land in plea.

He said that a committee had transferred this land to Ghulam Hussain Hilari and Yousaf Edhi in 2012, adding that secretary board of revenue Shahzer Shamon, Deputy Commissioner Malir Qazi Jan Muhammad and Ghulam Mustafa Phal were part of the committee.

He stated that it also include the 262 acres land owned by Pakistan Steel Mills. The Sindh government had taken this land from mill to construct university and oil tankers' yard.

The accused Ghulam Hussain Hilari and Yousaf Edhi transferred this land to Ahsan Elahi through a frontman Aftab Pathan. Ahsan Elahi planned to establish a housing society on this land and allegedly gave Rs35 millions to director general building control Manzor Qadir as a bribe to get approval of the society. The money received as kick backs and bribe was deposited in fake bank accounts.

During hearing, the court asked the accused that whether he knew that he wouldn't be entitled for any public post in next ten years. After this, the court endorsed the plea bargain of the accused.