Physical remand of accused in Kohistan scam extended

PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Saturday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a two-day extension in the physical remand of Ayub Khan, the main accused and contractor in the Kohistan financial scandal.

The court accepted NAB’s request for additional remand to continue the investigation.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Muhammad Ali and the investigating officer, informed the court that Ayub was involved in suspicious bank transactions, and illegal assets had also been discovered. They further revealed that the accused had filed a plea bargain request, which was currently under review.

The deputy prosecutor told the court that the Kohistan scandal involved embezzlement of Rs40 billion and that NAB was still determining the exact number of people involved and the scale of their corruption. He emphasized the need for extended remand to pursue these crucial leads.

After arguments, the court approved NAB’s plea and extended Ayub’s physical remand for two more days.

It may be mentioned that according to NAB, the Kohistan scandal has led to the arrest of eight accused so far, with recoveries worth Rs25 billion, including luxury vehicles, spacious bungalows, and flats.

In addition, significant amounts of cash have been frozen. Several suspects, including newly-elected Senator Azam Swati, are currently on protective bail in this case.