NAB bringing three former FBR chiefs to table

Enquiry authorised against former FBR chairmen Salman Saddique, Abdullah Yousuf and Ali Arshad Hakeem for $ 11m loss, $ 650m claim in Agility case

National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) held under the chairmanship of Qamar Zaman Chaudhry decided to authorise five enquiries on Tuesday.

The first enquiry was authorised against former FBR chairmen Salman Saddique, Abdullah Yousuf and Ali Arshad Hakeem, former Customs collector Mian Azhar Majeed, PACCs team member Iqbal Muneeb and Customs Additional Collector Ashir Azeem Gill.

In this case, they have been alleged of corruption and corrupt practices and misuse of authority in award of computerisation of FBR to a foreign company, Agility. This caused a loss of $ 11 million and claim of $ 650 million by Agility. The award of contract and subsequent faulty working of the contractual firm led to huge losses in the clearance of custom goods at Karachi port.

The second enquiry was authorised against Tandlianwala Sugar Mills (Pvt) Ltd and others. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for suspicious transaction of US$ 6,922,736.

The third enquiry was authorised against Al-Abid Silk Mills Limited, referred by the State Bank of Pakistan regarding wilful loan default of Rs 479.893 million.

The fourth enquiry was authorised against ACE Securities (Pvt) Ltd, a brokerage house on charges of fraud, embezzlement, corrupt practices and cheating public at large. In this case, the accused persons, CEO Haroon Iqbal and Director Iqbal Ismail, were alleged for fraud, embezzlement, corrupt practices and cheating public at large, causing a loss of Rs 236 million.

The fifth enquiry was authorised against Hashmi Traders’ contractor Najum Saqib in a case against authorities of Balochistan Education Department and others, regarding misappropriation of funds allocated for purchase of furniture, reading/writing material, science equipments and repair of schools and colleges of Balochistan during FY 2010-2011. Saqib caused a loss of Rs 2.118 million to the national exchequer.

The meeting also decided to authorise investigation against former DPC chairman Arshad Farooq Faheem, former DPC pricing member Dr Muhammad Ali and other officers/officials of Ministry of National Regulations and Services. In this case, the accused persons were alleged for increase in prices of drugs illegally.

The EBM decided another enquiry in a case against former University of Sindh Jamshoro vice chancellor Dr Nazir Mughal, former University of Sindh Jamshoro registrar Mohammad Nawaz Narejo and the university’s former registrar Mohammad Hussian Shaikh for misuse of authority and embezzlement of university funds. The meeting directed NAB Karachi director general to submit report within six weeks.