NAB arrests bankers in Rs2.29 billion fraud case

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) has arrested bankers in the mega scam of billions of rupees of the Workers Welfare Board.
The NAB has arrested Rizwan Ali Branch Manager and Abid Mahmood Abbassi, Operation Manager of NIB Bank Shoba Chowk Branch, Peshawar.
They are allegedly involved in connivance with accused Tariq Awan, Secretary Workers Welfare Board (WWB), Abdul Waheed Qureshi Project Officer WWB and other accused persons in commission of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices in procurement of equipment, thus causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer.
According to details, the accused Rizwan Ali, Branch Manager of NIB Bank in connivance with Tariq Awan, Secretary, WWB and other accused persons, opened illegal account in NIB Bank, with the title of ‘Secretary Labour’. No approval of Secretary Labour was obtained for this account. The account was used for deposit of cheques of huge sums issued in the name of Secretary Labour by WWB and then transferred in the account of Secretary WWB for making payments of illegal contracts. The then Secretary Labour was kept totally ignorant of this account.
A huge sum of more than Rs2.29 Billion was credited and then withdrawn by accused persons from this account illegally. Furthermore, he is also involved in opening of fraudulent account of accused Firms M/S Ashraf Enterprises.
The accused Abid Mahmood Abbassi remained Operation Manager NIB Bank Shoba Chowk Branch Peshawar. He, in capacity of Manager Operation illegally deposited cheques issued in the name of Secretary Labour in the account of accused Tariq Awan.
The said official cheques were properly crossed and could not be deposited in the said account as per banking law. Furthermore the accused Abid Abbassi is also involved in fake Call Bank Confirmation (CBC) from the signatories of the account of Secretary WWB from which huge amounts were withdrawn through alleged fake signatures of Director Finance WWB and embezzled.
It is pertinent to mention that Tariq Awan Secretary WWB and many of the accused persons involved in the instant scam had already been arrested by NAB (KP). The apex Anti-Corruption Organization is actively purusing the case and more alarming facts are yet to be unearthed. The accused persons will be produced before the Accountability Court Peshawar for obtaining their remand into NAB Custody.