–IO says Cheema misused office of LDA DG, committed fraud in Ashiana Housing Scheme
— Interior ministery blacklists Ahad Cheema
LAHORE: Former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General (DG) Ahad Cheema, Bismillah Engineering Services Chief Executive Shahid Shafiq and four other suspects appeared in the accountability court on Tuesday with regard to National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) ongoing probe into Ashiana Housing Scheme scandal.
LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed and two officers of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) were also presented before the court.
Presenting his arguments, the investigation officer stated that Ahad Cheema used his authorities illegally in Ashiana Housing Scheme and committed fraud in his capacity as the director general.
The prosecution informed the court that important data has been recovered from Cheema’s laptop and mobile phones, adding that further investigation of the Cheema is required due to newfound data.
INTERIOR MINISTRY BLACKLISTS CHEEMA
Meanwhile, Interior ministery on Tuesday blacklisted Ahad Cheema from obtaining a passport due to NAB’s investigation against him.
An interior ministry’s notification stated that Cheema has been blacklisted due to the probe against him. Moreover, seven other citizens have also been put on the blacklist by the ministry.
Earlier on Feb 21, NAB arrested LDA’S former director general Ahad Cheema in relation to the Ashiana Housing Scheme corruption scandal.
Cheema, who was taken into custody by the anti-graft watchdog from the office of Punjab Power Company in Gulberg, faces charges of illegally allotting land for the housing scheme in Lahore.
The arrest came after Cheema failed to appear before the bureau despite several notices. The former LDA director general, who is currently the chief executive officer of the Punjab Thermal Power Ltd, will now be presented before an accountability court for judicial remand.
Meanwhile, few days after his arrest, Punjab government promoted Ahad Cheema to grade 20 and in a surprising turn of events on March 17, suspended him as thermal power plant chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of three months.
It may be noted that the bureau has been conducting an inquiry against the officials of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), Lahore Casa Developers, Lahore Development Authority and others. The Punjab government had also formed its special committee regarding the allegations of corruption levelled against the Ashiana Housing Scheme. The committee had briefed Punjab chief minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif on the project who appeared before the bureau in January.
The aim of the Ashiana housing scheme – an initiative of the Punjab government, was to provide economical and adequate residential facilities to the people with low-incomes and the government had invested Rs2 billion while acquiring 672 kanals of land in the Muloani Harlan area near Darbar Baba Noor Shah.
