NAB arrests accused in Rs340m embezzlement case

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has arrested an accused, Nawab Khan, for his alleged involvement in embezzlement of Rs340 million.

The amount was allocated for Housing Uniform Assistance Subsidy Project for the Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) from erstwhile Bajaur Agency.

Under the project, the government of Pakistan with the assistance of USAID paid around 2.5 billion in Bajaur as compensation to TDPs whose houses had been damaged in the military operation against the miscreants, said an official communiqué.

Under the project, Rs 400,000/- were paid to each individual whose houses had been damaged, while Rs160,000/- were paid to owners of the partially damaged houses.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that accused Nawab Khan in connivance with others prepared fake survey forms of ghost and ineligible affectees in Bajaur.

He then got included fake forms in the payment lists already prepared after a survey conducted by political administration Bajaur.

The accused got approved the payment list containing such fake forms, causing huge loss of Rs.340million to the exchequer.

He had absconded legal proceedings. The case is under trial in an accountability court. A 14 days physical custody of the accused was given to NAB by the accountability court.

It merits a mention here that Rs 110 million were recovered from other co-accused through plea bargain while Arshad Khan, former DG FDMA and Irfanullah, former assistant director, FDMA were arrested in the case and are on bail.

Police say gang of robbers busted

The Capital City Police have busted a gang of robbers involved in firing at cops and injuring people during robberies for offering resistance, officials said on Friday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Zahoor Babar Afridi told reporters at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines that the gang was also involved in firing on a policeman at a barricade on Thursday.

“The group had injured some people during robberies in the last few months. Four of the cases have been traced out. Three of the arrested robbers belong to the Kohat Road,” Zahoor Afridi said.

He was flanked by SSP Investigation Jahanzeb Burki and ASP Mohammad Shoaib. The official said the gang was also involved in injuring a soldier and a doctor during a robbery.

The SSP said the robbers used to fire at victims for offering resistance. He added that gangs involved in robberies and other crimes have been busted in recent weeks.

Street crime has increased in the provincial capital in recent months. People are robbed at gunpoint on a daily basis. In many incidents, the robbers don’t hesitate to shoot anyone for a few thousand rupees for offering resistance.

The SSP operations said that security has been beefed up in the provincial capital during Ramazan.

He added security has been provided to crowded trade centres, public places and 491 mosques during prayer times.