NAB to file corruption reference against Dr Asim

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau on Friday decided to file a corruption reference against former PPP minister for petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain and others.

The accused were alleged of making fraudulent land allotments, illegal annexation of land, unfair distribution of natural gas quotas and money laundering, causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry chaired the board meeting at the NAB headquarters here.Besides filing a reference against Dr Asim Hussain, it was decided to authorise an investigation against Dr. Asim Hussain, ex-MD SSGCL Azeem Iqbal Siddiqui, Khalid Rehman and others.

The accused were alleged of misappropriation in SSGCL and OGDCL funds by providing illegal benefits to the Jamshoro Joint Venture Ltd (JJVL).

During 2011 onwards, gas worth billions of rupees was illegally awarded to JJVL by Dr Asim and others from various gas fields, causing a loss of approximately Rs10 billion to the national exchequer.

The board decided to authorise three inquiries. The first inquiry was authorised on the complaint of Australian High Commission, Islamabad, against Nazir Abbas of the Al-Abbas International Educational Consultants and others.

In this case, the accused persons were alleged of cheating students at large and defrauding 106 students by collecting approximately Rs760 million for processing the Australian visas.

The second inquiry was authorised against Ashfaq Jumani of the NHA, M/S Siraj (Pvt) Ltd and others.

In this case, the accused were alleged of misusing authority by illegal award of contract to M/s Siraj (Pvt) Limited, causing a loss of Rs92,831,207 million to the national exchequer.

The third inquiry was authorised against Sardar Asif Nakai, MPA, Khan Arshad Khan, ex-president housing society, Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Qamar, Talib Hussain Talib and others of Al-Madina Garden Housing Society, Pattoki, Kasur.

In this case, the accused were alleged of misappropriation and criminal breach of trust in respect of the amount recovered as consideration of plots and development works thereof by omitting the development works in the society and non-mutation of land in the name of purchasers.

The EBM re-authorised investigation against Dr. Rasool Bux Solangi, ex-Deputy District Officer (Revenue), Karachi, Abdul Aziz Qazi, ex-Tapedar Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, Karachi, Abdul Majeed and Justice (retd) Zahid K. Alvi.

In this case, the accused allegedly misused authority and indulged in corruption and corrupt practices, causing a loss of approximately Rs1.26 billion to the national exchequer.

The board re-authorised an inquiry against the officers/officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and others.

In this case, the accused were alleged of misuse of authority and illegal conversion/allotment of land to resourceful persons causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

The board also decided to close complaint verification against J.H. Kim, CEO Daewoo, Pakistan, due to the civil nature of the case and NAO does not attract the cognisance of the offence.