Ashiyana Housing scandal: NAB to hold Ahad Cheema, accomplice for two weeks

LAHORE: An accountability court judge Najamul Hassan on Monday extended the physical remand of former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Cheema and Bismillah Engineering Company CEO Shahid Shafiq, a co-accused in the corruption case, till March 19, in Ashiyana Housing Scheme fraud.

NAB produced both the accused before the court after expiry of their previous physical remand and got the custody for another 15 days.

A NAB investigation officer submitted a preliminary investigation report before the court contending that mobile phones and laptop recovered from Ahad Khan Cheema had been sent to Forensic Science laboratory for forensic test.

He alleged that he bought 32-kanal land in the names of his brother, sister and cousin.

The prosecutor said that Punjab Land Development Company was supposed to provide houses to the common citizens at low cost but unfortunately not even a single house was built at Aashiyana house scheme launched for the public.

He said Ahad Cheema’s brother, sister and cousin were issued notices but they did not appear before NAB. The scheme’s farms were sold to the people against Rs60 million while Rs190 million were drawn from the national exchequer in the name of the payments. The prosecutor pleaded with the court to allow 14 days further remand of both the accused so that they could complete their investigation.

NAB Prosecutor Waris Janjua informed the court that Cheema allegedly awarded contract to Bismillah Company in return for 32-kanal land. Prosecutor said that the land was transferred to family members of Cheema, including his sister and cousin.

The prosecutor explained that 8 kanals of the total land were transferred to Ahad Cheema, 8-kanal to his sister Saeeda Manzoor, eight were given to his brother Ahmed Saeed Cheema, and eight were given to his cousin Asad Cheema.

As per NAB, the accused Shahid Shafiq Alam Faridi, proprietor/partner of M/S Bismillah Engineering Services, in connivance with Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officials, had presented false documents of Joint Venture consisting of three firms/companies including M/S Bismillah Engineering Services Co, M/S SPRACO Construction Company and M/S China First Metallurgical Group Co and obtained the contract of Rs14 billion in an illegal manner.

Being owner of C4 Company, the accused was not eligible for the contract, the NAB added. Furthermore, the accused fraudulently represented M/S SPARCO Company as lead member of joint venture (JV) but as per JV agreement signed by him on 18 May 2015; the actual lead member was M/S Bismillah Engineering. This malicious act was done to conceal the poor and ineligible financial and technical capabilities of M/S Bismillah.

Moreover, the accused Shahid with fraudulent intentions obtained constructive possession of Aashiyana Iqbal project and failed to complete the project, due to which the national exchequer had to suffer a loss to the tune of Rs1000 million.

The bureau had booked Cheema alleging that Cheema abused his power as the LDA DG and awarded the contract of Aashiyana Housing Scheme to Lahore Casa Developers (LCD) and Bismillah Engineering, which were not eligible for the project.