KP NAB authorises inquiries against officials

PESHAWAR: The Regional Board Meeting (RBM) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has authorised several inquiries and approved a reference.

As per the NAB communiqué, the RBM meeting was held under the chairmanship of Brig (R) Farooq Nasir Awan, Director General NAB (KP) in Peshawar. The meeting was attended by directors, additional directors, case officers, senior legal consultants and other concerned officers. It said that several decisions were taken during the meeting. It authorised an inquiry against Muhammad Saleem Hassan Wattoo, Director General of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) about the misappropriation of funds in several projects.

“It is alleged that he embezzled funds in renovation of DG PDA’s House, installation of streetlights on GT/Jamrud Road, in toll plaza Hayatabad, installation of digital hoarding boards,” the NAB claimed.

It further added that he awarded contracts without open competition to his handpicked companies in construction of roads in Regi Model Town Peshawar, establishment of food street in Phase-VI Hayatabad, installation of tuff tiles in Hayatabad markets.

However, DG PDA Saleem Wattoo said that the contracts of the mentioned projects were given to two government companies including National Logistics Cell (NLC) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) as per the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KPPRA) rules.

He said that the provincial cabinet had also approved these projects and these were being carried out fairly and justly.

However, he termed the authorisation of inquiry against him as based on malafide intention. He said the inquiry was authorised after he filed writ petition in the high court when action was not taken against the corrupt elements in PDA.

The NAB KP also authorised another inquiry against officers/officials of Agencies Education Offices Fata and FRs regarding corruption and corrupt practice and embezzlement of funds. It is alleged that ghost employees were working in Education Department in Fata and FRs and many of them were receiving double salaries with connivance of the officials of Agencies Education Offices.

The Regional Board decided to file reference against Muhammad Shoaib, Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) Tehsil Municipal Administration, Kohat regarding misuse of authority committed in illegal appointments in various cadres in violation of rules and regulation. Another reference was recommended for approval against Gul Habib, ex-superintendent, Gridstation Haripur, for accumulating assets beyond known source of income worth Rs45.620 million.