Rs3bn motorway scandal: Court declares absconding accused proclaimed offenders

KARACHI: The Special Banking Court has declared four absconding accused as proclaimed offenders in the case pertaining to misappropriation of more than Rs3 billion in the Sukkur-Hyderabad (M-6) Motorway land acquisition funds.

Earlier, the same court had issued non-bailable warrants for the same accused, including former deputy commissioner Nosheroferoze Tashfeen Alam, NHA contractor Asghar Jatoi, local political leader Rehmatullah Solangi and revenue official Tharo Khan Solangi.

In addition, the Sindh Home Department has also recommended the Federal Ministry of Interior to include the names of 20 accused in the Exit Control List (ECL). The accused include former deputy commissioner Nosheroferoze Tashfeen Alam, NHA contractor Asghar Jatoi, local political leader Rehmatullah Solangi, revenue official Tharo Khan Solangi, Mukhtiarkar Shafiq Soomro, Mukhtiarkar Niaz Ali, personal assistant to DC Aziz Ansari, senior clerk Ghaffar Depar, Tapedar Tharo Khan Pahore, Tapedar Ghulam Haqqani Sahto, Tapedar Tanveer Mallah, officials of the deputy commissionar office, Zawar Shah, Rustam Khoso, Khalid Channa, officers of Sindh Bank Mukhtiar Chandio, Atta Hussain Sahto, Zeeshan Larik, two stamp vendors Siraj Memon, Aftab Soomro, one notary public Abdul Ghaffar Maree and a social welfare officer Sajjad Memon.

Along with the FIA, the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) are also investigating the motorway scandal. The FIA has arrested three Sindh Bank officers and Sajjadul Haq, brother-in-law of absconding DC Nosheroferoze Tashfeen Alam. NAB has arrested Zawar Shah, the front man of local political leader Rehmatullah Solangi.