NAB gets 10-day custody of Benazir Housing Cell director

Karachi
An accountability court (AC) on Wednesday granted a 10-day physical remand of Benazir Housing Cell Director, Manzar Abbas, to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for interrogation, pertaining to an embezzlement case of more than Rs30 million.
The court was informed that the accused had also launched a housing scheme by the name of ‘Sasti Basti’ in Kashmir and had later run away after looting more than Rs30 million.
Five references had so far been filed against the accused out of which he had been granted bail in two cases.
The court directed NAB authorities to apprise the court within 10 days in case it wanted to file another reference.
Abbas, the director of technical drawing and disbursement officer in Benazir Housing Cell in Kashmore-Kandhkot district, was arrested by NAB officials on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs367.5 million intended for setting up low-cost housing schemes.
Bureau officials said that the accused used fake calculations for issuance of illegal cheques to a Fiza Social Welfare Organisation against which funds were misappropriated.