Nadra DG arrested in embezzlement case

ISLAMABAD: A director general of the National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra), Tahir Akram, was arrested on Monday after his request for pre-arrest bail in an embezzlement case was rejected by a local court. After the request was rejected, Akram was handed over to the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA).

Akram will be presented in a court for his remand hearing. He is the principal accused in a case involving the embezzlement of millions of rupees as part of a rental scam. Akram was nominated in a case wherein a building rented for Nadra's use was never actually used by the authority despite six months advance payment of rent.

In November 2016, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had taken notice of the scam and tasked the FIA to conduct an inquiry which revealed malpractices and a loss of Rs87.47 million to the national exchequer. Out of the total loss, the accused had returned Rs56.23 million but the FIA expects to recover the remaining amount as well.