NAB arrests four officials accused of purchasing overpriced land

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi on Thursday arrested four accused persons allegedly involved in corruption in the purchase of land for a medical college in the federal capital.

Those who were arrested include Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) former director general Zahid Rasheed, Director Afzal Hameed, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Employees Union Secretary-General Amanullah Khan and Asim Raza.

The accused persons were the WWF Financial Bid Opening Committee members, which was constituted to examine the financial proposal of the bid received in pursuance to the tender notice for procurement of land for establishing a medical college and a teaching hospital in Islamabad.

The accused person wilfully and knowingly recommended the purchase of 150 Kanals of land at Rs3.7 Million per Kanal at an exorbitant price on a single bid without carrying out any due diligence.

The accused in connivance with other accused persons caused a loss of approximately more than Rs530 Million to the National Exchequer by committing the offence of corruption and corrupt practices.

The NAB officials produced the accused in the Accountability court  Islamabad. The Judge of the Accountability Court accepting the request of the NAB Rawalpindi and granted 4 days physical remand to NAB Rawalpindi.

NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has said that eradication of corruption and recovery of looted money from corrupt elements in top most priority of NAB.

NAB is committed to rooting out corrupt with iron hands, he added. He appreciated the performance of NAB Rawalpindi under the supervision of NAB Rawalpindi DG and directed to make all our efforts to arrest proclaimed offenders and absconders and bring them to justice.