NAB arrests three for selling plots illegally

LAHORE :National Accountability Bureau (NAB) exposing a mega scam in a housing society has arrested three people including its chief executive officer (CEO) for cheating public at large.  According to a NAB spokesman, the arrested people were identified as CEO Farhan Cheema and directors Muhammad Qasim and Faryad Ali from Lahore. 

According to the spokesman, the accused without purchasing sufficient land and seeking approval from Lahore Development Authority (LDA) launched a selling campaign by offering discount voucher of Rs 350,000 and sold thousands of vouchers and collected billions of rupees from people. 

Earlier, the accused sold numerous vouchers in the name of a centre whereas no such land existed under the name of the centre.  The NAB official said the housing society was not approved by the LDA and the accused were not entitled to selling any land. 

During the course of inquiry, he said, it was transpired that being CEO of the society, the accused sold discount vouchers / plots fraudulently by violating the determined rules and laws.  The spokesman said for hoodwinking general public the accused illegally erected containers at the site for the purpose of selling plots, files and discount vouchers whereas the accused was still collecting funds by booking plots to public even after publishing ads by the NAB against him in different newspapers. 

Moreover, he said, the NAB took the accused in custody over scruple of tempering with the case evidence and with an ample suspicion that the accused may flee the country in near future. The accused, Farhan Cheema, would be presented before an accountability court for seeking of his remand on Friday (today).