Punjab Constabulary mega scam case adjourned till Jan 13

MULTAN: An accountability court judge Raja Safdar Iqbal has adjourned the Punjab Constabulary mega scam case till January 13. The Punjab Constabulary commandant and 81 other officials were charged with alleged corruption of Rs1.91 billion, causing huge loss to the national exchequer. Witness Zahid’s statements have been recorded during the hearing of the case. Further evidence will be heard on the next hearing. On the other hand, lawyers will discuss the pleas of the accused on December 24. During the hearing, a decision will be taken on the request of SSP Mahmood Al Hassan and district accounts officer while the request of SP Mian Irfanullah, will be discussed.

Earlier at the Supreme Court hearing of the case, NAB Multan said SP investigation and former commandant Muhammad Baqir, SSP Mahmood Al-Hassan and SP Mian, allegedly dented the national exchequer by embezzling Rs1.91 billion. Irfanullah senior auditor, Mudassar Dareshak, district accounts officer Kanwar Mohammad Khan, accounts officer Bhakkar, Qamar Magsi, former district accounts officer Multan, Basit Maqbool Hashmi, DG Khan’s temporary accounts officer Ahmed Bakhsh Jaskani and others are the accused. The accused are charged with causing hundreds of millions of rupees loss to national exchequer by forging signatures of officers. Police officers colluded with account officers and personnel; the accused made fake recruitments and took out salaries and GP funds. Anti-Corruption Establishment registered a case and also recovered Rs6.3m from accused. The case was transferred from ACE to the NAB. The alleged embezzlement in allotment of plots also involved Muhammad Bashir, Nazir Ahmed and Muhammad Shabbir of Bahawalpur. The accused have also filed an application for acquittal.