NAB to file reference against owners of Eden housing projects

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau on Friday decided to file a reference against former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s son-in-law Murtaza Amjad and other owners of Eden housing projects in Rs19 billion fraud case after the accountability watchdog and Eden owners failed to reach a plea bargain.

It is pertinent to mention here that the owners of Eden housing projects, accused of multi-billion fraud, had fled the country what NAB had called inefficiency of Interior Ministry as the bureau claimed that the NAB had asked the ministry to put the names of Dr Amjad and his sons Murtaza Amjad and Mustafa Amjad on the Exit Control List (ECL) but the ministry didn’t take action on time.

It is learnt the accused family had escaped to the Canada.

The NAB has decided to file a reference against Iftikhar Chaudhary’s son-in-law Murtaza Amjad, Dr Amjad, Anjum Amjad, Murtaza Amjad and Mustafa Amjad in a regional board meeting held at NAB Lahore office.

The reference will be sent to the NAB chairman and after his approval it will be filed in an accountability court in Lahore.

It is learnt that the accused received Rs 19 billion from 11,800 affectees and fled the country.

It is learnt that the bureau had seized multibillion properties of the Eden group family.

According to the NAB investigation, the owners of Eden housing projects had at least 111 commercial plots in Eden housing projects in Lahore alone. The accused have eight commercial plots near Eden Canal Villas and Canal Road. They also have two commercial plots of four kanals near the airport. NAB’s initial inquiry revealed that the accused had two commercial plots of 10 marlas in Eden City near the airport.

The NAB has also found evidence of property owned by the accused in Edenabad, Defence Road, that was entitled to Eden housing and its directors. They have 404 kanals of land entitled to them in the name of Capital Land Developers in Mauza Tamma, Chatha and Mohriyan.

They also had 333 kanals of land in the name of Golden Earth and AM Form in Mauza Bhaghrian and Zila Dharma Chandar. NAB investigations have found 26 commercial plots in their name in a project named Eden Residentia.

If the court allowed the bureau can auction the properties of Eden group family and distribute the amount got from the auction among the affectees.

It is pertinent to mention here that NAB Lahore DG Shahzad Saleem while chairing the board meeting said that the regulators of housing societies were the responsible for the sufferings of the common men.

Strict laws should be made to save the hard-earned money of people from the corrupt elements, the DG said.