NAB hands over Rs7.360mn cheque to GIECHS's president

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General Lahore Shahzad Saleem on Tuesday handed over a cheque of Rs 7.360 million to the president of Gujranwala Irrigation Employees Cooperative Housing Society (GIECHS).

According to the NAB official, NAB Lahore launched a probe over the complaints received against management of GIECHS regarding embezzlement of millions in housing Scam, whereas, during the course of investigations it was unearthed that the management was purchasing plots through their alleged front men at exorbitant rates, whereby, the same plots were also allotted to the affectees without obtaining any approval/NOC from Gujranwala Development Authority (GDA).

However, the society was declared as illegal by GDA but the management sold land measuring 1,300 Kanal, whereas, they owned 200 Kanal of land, so that this illegal act on the part of society's management caused a loss worth Rs 60 million to more than three thousand affectees. Revenue record indicated only 200 Kanal land in society's possession.

In cognizance of arrest orders issued by DG NAB Lahore, all accused - Muhammad Yaqoob, Ghulam Ali, Zakaullah Bhatti, Tariq Ashraf Khan, Chaudhry Fakhar-uz-Zaman and others - were arrested and a corruption reference was filed in accountability court during 2015.

The NAB Lahore handed over Rs 11.141 Million to affectees recovered through Plea Bargain (PB) Law from the accused, while another instalment of Rs 7.360 million has been handed over to the concerned official for dissemination among affectees of GIECHS.