LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested former provincial lawmaker Qaiser Amin Butt in a case pertaining to the Paragon Housing Society scam, a private TV channel reported.
Quoting sources, the channel reported that the former lawmaker has had 15-year long ‘partnership’ with a former federal minister in the housing project. Last month, Khawaja Saad Rafique appeared before a NAB team to answer its queries over his alleged involvement in the Paragon corruption scandal.
NAB had launched an investigation into the scandal after protests by dozens of victims against the housing society fraud. Former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Cheema and others are in custody over the allegations of corruption in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Society scam.
Former Punjab chief minister had also been questioned by the NAB in the scam. He has been accused of ordering cancellation of the contract of the Ashiana Iqbal to a successful bidder, leading to the award of the contract to another builder, which resulted into a loss of Rs 193 million approximately, the notice reads.
He also directed PLDC to assign the project of the Ashiana to LDA resulting into the award of contracts to M/s Lahore Casa Developers (JV), thus causing loss of Rs 715 million approximately and ultimately failure of the project, according to the notice.
It says the chief minister had also directed PLDC to award consultancy services of the Ashiana project for Rs 192 million approximately, but its actual cost was Rs 35 million.
