Rs9 bn BoP scam case adjourned

LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday adjourned the hearing of Bank of Punjab (BoP) Rs9 billion scam case by May 2 after summoning prosecution witness.  The court has summoned prosecution witness Shahid Adrees. 

According to NAB, on September 27, 2007, a reference was filed in an accountability court against 12 people, including six officials of Bank of Punjab (BoP) and six others accused of Rs9 billion fraud. The investigation showed that accused Shaikh Muhammad Afzal, the director of the Haris Steel, with co-accused Muhammad Munir, Ali Ijaz, Abid Raza and Irfan Ali, in connivance with BoP ex-president Hamesh Khan, Haroon Aziz, Azizul Hameed, Muhammad Shoaib Qureshi, ex-general managers BoP Muhammad Adil Khan, Muhammad Nauman Arif and Muhammad Ziaul Haq, allegedly opened 23 fake accounts by their bogus and forged national identity cards and obtained loans of approximately Rs9 billion from 2005 to 2007 with the help of fake documentation, bogus collateral, fictitious guarantees and mortgage deals executed by fake persons.  In this reference, NAB has accused Hamesh of misuse of power and sanctioning illegal loans worth Rs9 billion. While Seth Nisar has been accused of intentionally committing default of Rs930 million he borrowed from BoP.