Latest news with #NationalAccountabilityBureau
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Court extends physical remand of key accused in Kohistan scandal
The Special Accountability Court in Peshawar has extended the physical remand of Ayub Khan, the main suspect in the Kohistan financial scandal, for an additional two days. The extension was granted following a request by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), represented by Deputy Prosecutor General Muhammad Ali, who was accompanied by the investigation officer. The court was informed that the accused, Ayub Khan, is involved in suspicious bank transactions and has also been found in possession of illegal assets. NAB revealed that the accused has submitted a plea bargain request, which is currently under review. Deputy Prosecutor General Muhammad Ali told the court that further interrogation of the accused is necessary. He added that the investigation into the Kohistan scandal, a scam worth Rs40 billion, is ongoing. NAB is working to identify all those involved, the extent of corruption, and recover stolen assets. For this purpose, the extension in remand was deemed essential. Granting NAB's request, the court extended the physical remand of the accused for another two days. According to NAB, the Kohistan scandal involves Rs40 billion, with eight suspects arrested so far. NAB has recovered Rs25 billion in the form of luxury vehicles, lavish bungalows, and apartments. In addition, a significant amount of cash has been frozen. Several individuals, including newly elected Senator Azam Swati, are currently out on protective bail.
Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Scandal-hit RDA abolishes CDR system
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has scrapped its Call Deposit Receipt (CDR) system after it became the conduit for the transfer of Rs1.94 billion from the authority's accounts. In its place, a new foolproof financial system has been implemented, under which all payments to companies, firms, and individuals will be made strictly through cross cheques. Investigations into the scandal are currently underway, with both the Punjab government's fact-finding committee and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) actively probing the matter. During the third session of the committee, held in Lahore, former RDA officials and current employees failed to provide satisfactory responses to the committee's questions. Written statements were demanded from all those summoned, which will be scrutinised in the upcoming sessions. The scandal first came to light in the second week of May 2025, following the alleged suicide of a former RDA deputy director of finance in Sialkot. A review of financial records revealed that the CDR system had been introduced in 2016 after a significant deduction was made from RDA's account by the income tax department at the start of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project. Initially, the CDR system operated transparently between 2016 and 2019. However, records from 2020 to 2025 revealed that CDRs based on the RDA's account balance were used to transfer funds to the bank accounts of various companies, firms, and individuals. Letters were written requesting the issuance of new CDRs in their names. Officials with financial signing authority, including the Director General and director finance at the time, allegedly displayed gross negligence, allowing these transfers to proceed undetected. The discrepancy was discovered only after the newly appointed Director of Admin and Finance, Ahmed Sohaib Qazi, conducted a thorough review of the financial records. In response, RDA has now eliminated the CDR mechanism and implemented a secure payment system. Under the new protocol, cross-cheques will only be issued after the director general, director of finance, and deputy director of finance have verified the complete documentation and affixed their signatures. Banks will only process these cheques after verifying them with RDA. Meanwhile, the fact-finding committee, formed by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and led by Board of Revenue Member (Taxes) Mudassar Waheed Malik, includes members Moazzam Iqbal Supra and Madiha Tahir Shah. The committee held its third session on July 14 in Lahore, where several former and current RDA finance officials appeared. Two former officials who claimed ignorance about the preparation and signing of the CDRs failed to convince the committee. Another employee, whose wife received Rs1.8 million in her bank account, also failed to offer a satisfactory explanation.
Business Recorder
05-07-2025
- Business Recorder
Pleas moved under 516-A CrPC must be decided swiftly with fair hearing: SC
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court held that application moved under Section 516-A Code of Criminal Procedure Code must be decided expeditiously after providing a fair chance to contest the legality of the seizure and the order must be based on cogent reasons as to why the vehicle should be released or not. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar ruled that in car superdari case. The petitioner (Ahsan Ali Dawach) was taken into custody by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for investigation of Rs3.2 billion pension funds scam, involving District Accounts Officials, Hyderabad, and others. At the time of arrest, a vehicle, Honda Vezel was also seized from the petitioner's custody. A reference under Section 18(g) and 24(b) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 was filed against the petitioner and other persons. During investigation, DG NAB Sindh passed an order on 01.02.2022 under Section 12 of the NAO 1999 for freezing of movable and immovable properties of accused persons which was confirmed by the trial court on 14.02.2023. The petitioner, on 31.01.2023, filed an application under Section 516- A of the CrPC, 1898 in the trial court for release of the vehicle on superdari subject to furnishing of solvent surety, which was dismissed on 20.05.2023. The petitioner assailed the order of the trial court before the Sindh High Court, which was also dismissed, thus, the appeal before the Supreme Court. The judgment, authored by Justice Mazhar, said that the application moved under Section 516-A CrPC must be decided expeditiously after providing a fair chance to contest the legality of the seizure and the order must be based on cogent reasons as to why the vehicle should be released or why it should not be released, rather than deferring the application for an indefinite period or disposing it of in a slipshod or cursory manner. It noted that according to the command and mandate of Article 23 of the Constitution, every citizen has a right to acquire, hold, and dispose of property in any part of Pakistan, subject to the Constitution and any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the public interest. All at once, it is engrained and embedded under Article 24 of the Constitution that no person shall be deprived of his property save in accordance with the law with certain exceptions. The judgment said that while exercising discretionary powers for allowing or disallowing an application for interim custody, the Court must also consider the constitutional provisions to ensure that withholding custody without any rhyme or reason does not flout or violate or infringe upon fundamental rights as enshrined under the Constitution. It also said that the Court must aptly uphold a good sense of implementation of law, but on the other hand, it is obligated to shield and safeguard the rights of individuals in order to ensure justice without protracted detentions or delays of such interlocutory applications, as long as it does not compromise the legal proceedings. The Court clarified that the scheme of law permitting the interim custody of vehicle on superdari neither amounts to prejudice the trial, nor gives a clean chit to the accused, nor does it relieve or exempt the owner/recipient of custody from pending legal proceedings. However, the duration of the interim custody may continue subject to the bond and surety till the final fate of the case, till then, the person allowed interim custody is duty-bound under the law to attend, participate, and produce the vehicle as and when directed by the Court. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
26-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
RDA officers fail to satisfy probe panel
Senior officers, including the director-general, of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) recently failed to satisfy the fact-finding inquiry committee regarding queries involving Rs1.94 billion scandal. The second session of the fact-finding inquiry committee, constituted by the Punjab Chief Secretary to investigate the transfer of Rs1.94b from the RDA bank account to various individuals and companies concluded in Lahore. The third session is scheduled for July 2. Director of Administration and Finance, Sohaib Ahmed Qazi, was designated as the official RDA representative before the inquiry panel. The fact-finding committee, chaired by Mudassir Waheed Malik, Member of the Board of Revenue (Taxes), included Moazzam Supra (Managing Director, Punjab Government Servants Housing Foundation) and Madiha Tahir Shah (Additional Secretary, A&H) as members. On June 25, RDA DG Kinza Murtaza, Director Admin & Finance Sohaib Ahmed Qazi, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja appeared before the committee. The committee reviewed banking records and various documents, and asked several questions. However, the officers failed to provide convincing explanations for key concerns. They were asked why a CDR (Cash Deposit Receipt) system was adopted for bank transactions — allegedly to evade federal income tax, why financial transparency practices were overlooked for over a decade, why departmental audits over the past 10 years failed to uncover these massive fund transfers, and why the DG and Director Finance, being the authorised signatories, didn't regularly check the bank statements. The RDA officials attempted to shift the blame onto a deceased Deputy Director of Finance, a move the committee notably flagged and questioned further. In the upcoming third session on July 2, the committee has summoned two retired officials — Asif Mahmood Janjua, former Director Admin & Finance, and Khawaja Arshad Javed, former Assistant Director. The current RDA representative, Sohaib Ahmed Qazi, was directed to present detailed records of the disputed bank transactions and relevant financial data. It is noteworthy that parallel investigations into this financial scandal are also underway by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). The premier accountability watchdog has begun summoning both current and former RDA officials, as well as private individuals and account holders who received funds from the RDA account. On the other hand, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has begun summoning both serving and retired officers of the RDA in connection with the alleged embezzlement in government funds. All former directors of administration and finance who served over the past decade are being called in phases, with summons already issued.
Business Recorder
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
NA Speaker hails NAB for Rs5.311trn recovery
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq appreciated the performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on direct and indirect recovery of Rs5.311 trillion ($18.6 billion) during October to December 2023. The speaker appreciating this while talking to Chairman NAB Lt Gen (retired) Nazir Ahmed Butt, who called on him at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Thursday. The National Assembly speaker said the unprecedented direct and indirect recoveries amounting to 5.311 trillion during October to December 2023 by the NAB is reflective of the bureau's transformation into an apolitical, fair, efficient, and trustworthy entity. He also expressed satisfaction over the austerity measures and the complete revamping of the NAB through AI-based digitalisation. Sadiq appreciated the measures taken by the NAB for the facilitation of complaints, complete automation and up-gradation of the NAB. He also lauded the establishment of Special Accountability Facilitation Desks in all the provinces for transforming NAB as a business-friendly entity. The speaker lauded the positive role of the NAB in the economic stability of the country. On the occasion, the NAB chairman expressed his resolve to transform the bureau into a model entity. He also presented the NAB's Annual Report 2023-2024 to the National Assembly speaker. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
