Nine ex-ministers, MPAs of PTI embezzled Rs300m: ACE DG

LAHORE: Nine former provincial ministers and members of the provincial assembly belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) embezzled over Rs300 million in construction and repair of roads, alleged the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab Director General (DG) Sohail Zafar Chattah on Thursday.

According to the ACE DG, former ministers and MPAs connived with the Executive Engineer Highways Sarmad Akhtar Langrial to embezzle the national wealth. Chattah said the accused were included Chaudhry Adil Parvez Gujjar, Malik Umar Farooq, Chaudhry Ali Akhtar, Mian Waris, Muhammad Latif Nazir, Muhammad Shakeel Shahid, former provincial minister Ajmal Cheema, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and Khayal Kastro.

He said the accused parliamentarians had been summoned for investigation on March 28, and the Highway official on March 17 at Faisalabad regional office. Chattah claimed that former ministers and MPAs had written a letter with their signatures seeking posting of Akhtar Langrial at the particular office for embezzlement of funds.

An ACE spokesman said that a third notice had been issued to former Excise minister Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed in a separate case of bribery to recruit patwaris and construction of roads under the local government.

A notice for appearance, along with the record, had been issued, he added. Earlier, the ACE Faisalabad Region had summoned Hafiz Mumtaz for March 10 and 15, but he did not show up. He is accused of taking Rs22 lakh bribe for recruitment of each patwari. At least 32 Patwaris were recruited in Faisalabad.

He said Rs200 million had been approved for development projects in Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad’s constituency, but that money was embezzled. Former minister has also been accused of receiving Rs6 million bribe for awarding a road construction contract.