Fake bank accounts: NAB approves reference against Omni Group chief

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) approved the filing of corruption reference against Chief Executive of Omni Group Khawaja Anwar Majeed and others in a fake Bank Accounts scam and in money laundering scam.

Chief Executive of Omni group Khawaja Anwar Majeed was accused of allegedly involved in money laundering and corruption, causing losses of Rs340 million to national exchequer.

A meeting of the Executive Board of NAB chaired by Justice Javed Iqbal was held at NAB headquarters on Wednesday in which approval for filing of three corruption reference, one investigation and three inquiries.

The NAB’s Executive Board also approved closing the inquiry, INGOs including SDPI, FAFEN, FAO Rural Programme and others owing to absence of evidence. The Executive Board of the NAB approved of filling of corruption reference against Syed Arif Khan, Director and partner of Messers Kanal View and others for looting the people causing Rs266 million losses to national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board also approved filing of corruption reference against former DG Balochistan Development Board for having assets beyond known sources of income. The Executive Board of the NAB accorded approval of conducting investigations against Nasar Ahmed Afzal, Sagheer Ahmed Afzal and others. The NAB’s Executive Board approved conducting inquiries against officers and officials of Excise and Taxation department, owners, management and others of Unicorn Prestige hotel Lahore, officers and officials of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA)/Karachi Metropolitan corporation (KMC) and management, officers and others of Balochistan Development Authority Quetta.

The Executive Board of the NAB approved accorded approval of attaching the inquiries against the officers, officials and management of Punjab Energy Holding Company, Limited with the ongoing inquiry against appointment of officers in 56 companies.

It also approved referring the inquiry against Fazal Amin, Siraj Din and others to Anti Narcotics Force. The same forum also okayed sending inquiry against Saeed Ahmed Khan, Chairman OGRA and others, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan to ANF in light of Islamabad High Court decision.

The Executive Board of the NAB authorised closing inquiries against officers/officials and others of Abdul Wali Khan University, INGOs including SDPI, FAFEN, FAO Rural Programme and others owing to absence of evidence.

While addressing the meeting of the Executive Board of NAB, Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that the anti graft watchdog’s top most priority was to recover looted money from the corrupt and take mega corruption cases to logical conclusion. “All resources were being used to achieve the goal,” he said.

He said the NAB has filed 600 corruption references in different Accountability Courts in the last 23 months. ”The conviction ratio of NAB in corruption cases was 70 percent and has recovered Rs71 billion directly or indirectly from the corrupt elements and deposited in the national exchequer,” he said.

He said the NAB has concluded 41 mega corruption cases, while inquiries were continuing in 15 mega corruption cases and investigation continuing in 18 mega corruption cases. He said World Economic Forum in its recent report has lauded NAB’s awareness, prevention and enforcement policy which is honour for the Bureau.

The chairman NAB said the Bureau was striving to recover the amount looted in Muzarba and Musharka scandals. “As many as 44 suspects of the scam have so far been apprehended,” he said.

He urged the concerned departments to strictly check the mushroom growth of illegal housing societies. He also urged the electronic and print media to check legality of housing society before launching its advertisement campaign as some housing societies allegedly exist only in papers and started workings without approval of regulator and involved on looting the public.

He urged regulators including LDA, CDA, RDA, BDA, PDA, MDA, ICT and Gwadar Development Authority and others to enlist approved housing societies at their websites and inform the people about illegal housing societies to save them from looting.