NAB seeks record of Multan metro from FIA

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the complete record of the Metro Bus Project Multan after initiating probe into the project affairs, it is learnt.
NAB sources told The News on Friday that the NAB Multan approached FIA Punjab, Lahore Zone, officials investigating the matter for the last three months to get their findings. The sources said the inquiry record from the FIA had been sought after the NAB chairman took cognizance of allegations of corruption in the project.
“It has been revealed that the FIA Punjab is conducting an inquiry pertaining to the Multan metro project, it is therefore under Section 18 (d) of the NAO 1999 requested to depute the officer concerned to hand over the record to NAB Multan Deputy Director Muhammad Shahid on November 17”, reads a letter written by the NAB Multan to the FIA Punjab.
NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal in October had ordered the bureau to probe the project. On a complaint of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the FIA, in September, had started probing allegations of money laundering, etc on the part of the Yabaite company. The FIA sent the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the SECP several letters seeking record about the Yabaite company and details of 16 international companies which sent billions of rupees into the accounts of the company during the past several years. The FIA is probing whether any amount was sent by these companies from Pakistan or not.
FIA investigators have recorded statements of Sheikh Ijaz Asghar and Salman Iqbal of the Yabaite Pakistan. The police had arrested both the accused after registering an FIR against them for fraud, cheating, etc in connection with the Multan metro project.
Talking to The News on Friday, FIA Director General Bashir Memon said they would hand over all the relevant record to the NAB. He said the NAB had the power to take over any case from any investigating agency if it wanted to probe it.
Reportedly, investigations against the Jiangsu Yabaite Technology, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), were initiated last year after some foreign inflows were detected in its accounts.
The CSRC had approached the SECP in December last year for assistance regarding the Yabaite company. Furthermore, the SECP had told the CSRC that the Capital Engineering and Construction was not registered with it and its office address had not been traced yet.