NAB hands over Rs750m cheque to official in BoP scam

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore Director General Shahzad Saleem Thursday handed over a cheque for Rs750 million recovered money in Bank of Punjab scam to an official of Bank of Punjab (BoP).

The amount has been recovered in Punjab Bank scam in which billions of rupees were embezzled with the alleged connivance of former president Bank of Punjab (BoP) accused Hamesh Khan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Harris Steel Industries (Pvt) Ltd Sheikh Muhammad Afzal and others.

NAB Lahore had initiated an inquiry against accused persons Hamesh Khan, Sheikh Muhammad Afzal, Harris Afzal, Khawaja Arshad and others in a case of fraudulently looting of billions of rupees. In 2008, the NAB Lahore had filed an interim reference in Accountability Court, whereas, in 2009, during the course of inquiry, Sheikh Muhammad Afzal and Harris Afzal were got arrested by NAB from Malaysia. Simultaneously, numerous foreign and local properties belonging to the accused persons were secured by the NAB, later final corruption reference was filed in 2012 after completing the inquiry/investigation proceedings. Afterwards in 2012, a fresh inquiry was also authorised which was upgraded into investigation level that proceeded into filing of another corruption reference in Accountability Court Lahore during 2016.

Moreover, NAB Lahore has, so far, recovered Rs7.5 billion (approx) from corrupt elements in the same case which is being distributed to the bank concerned of which Rs750 million has been handed over Thursday.