LWMC graft case adjourned until filing of reference

LAHORE:An accountability court on Friday consigned the file to record room of Lahore Waste Management Company alleged corruption investigation against Waseem Ajmal and others.

The court has adjourned the matter until the filing of the reference. The court stated that the accused would be summoned when the National Accountability Bureau will file reference in the investigation.

The NAB in November 2019 had arrested Waseem Ajmal on the charges of allegedly embezzling more than Rs1 billion in a LWMC project. As per information shared by the NAB, a contract for preparation of consultancy services was awarded to Lahore Waste Management Company by City District Government, Rawalpindi in 2012 which was signed in September 2012. As per terms of reference of the contract, the consultants were supposed to prepare the rough cost estimates for the bidding purpose, and also were to prepare prequalification criteria and bidding documents, including draft agreements for the outsourcing of Solid Waste Management (SWM) services. Whereas, the constituted core team of the collective consultancy team comprised of members, including LWMC MD Waseem Ajmal, CFO Rana Muhammad Arif, GM Procurement & Contract Col (r) Muhammad Tahir and GM legal operations Khalid Majeed. These members were in true sense associated with preparation of cost estimates and bidding documents.

Being former MD and LWMC team leader, Waseem Ajmal held a meeting on 26 April, 2014, in which he intentionally concealed the details from the other board members of meeting. The accused person intentionally concealed the fact that the initial cost estimate regarding project’s labour cost of M/s Albayrak which was already included in the initial cost estimates was got re-issued during bidding process. The act on part of accused Waseem Ajmal caused a loss of Rs1.27bn to government exchequer. In this regard, the accused was also found involved in illegal payments of $96,000 in the name of fake exemptions.

According to details, LWMC initiated tendering process for outsourcing of Solid Waste Management Services in Rawalpindi and Murree in 2012. At the same time, bidders offered very exorbitant rates hence procedure of tendering was halted in February 2013. Lately, re-bidding was initiated for outsourcing of Solid Waste Management Services in Rawalpindi and Murree on 24 June, 2013.

NAB Lahore had also arrested five persons involved in the misappropriation of funds in the project. However, despite passing seven months and said claims NAB failed to file reference in this investigation.