NAB Punjab has filed a reference in Accountability Court against four employees of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) for alleged fraud, forgery and misappropriation. The reference has been filed under section 18(g) and section 24(b) of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
According to the reference, the two accused Falak Sher ex-Assistant HBL Kot Khadim Ali Shah Branch and Muhammed Hayat ex-cashier HBL Kot Khadim Ali Shah Branch of Sahiwal, during the period July 2001 to June 2004, while working as assistant and cashier respectively at Kot Khadim Ali Shah branch of HBL, committed fraud, forgery and misappropriation to the tune of Rs 9.99 million.
They committed fraud through alterations in the amounts of 31 cheques by adding words and figures, entering incorrect figures in the computer data to conceal their offence and subsequently misappropriating the mentioned amount.
The accused Falak Sher during his previous posting as cashier at HBL Grain Market Branch, Sahiwal had also misappropriated a sum of Rs 100,000 by issuing bogus receipt in a client's name.
The other accused Rabia Gull, as OG-III HBL Farid Town Branch, cancelled 26 cheques with forged amounts and issued fake deposit receipts to the customers. She also failed to exercise her authority as CD incharge by not checking/comparing the diagnostic reports with daily vouchers, thereby abetted in the offences committed by the other co-accused.
In October 2003 she issued a receipt of Rs 235,000 in which the date of affixed stamp was different from the date written in hand and the amount did not reflect in the bank record.
The reference further highlighted that the accused Shakeel Ahmed OG-III, HBL Arifwala Branch cancelled 11 cheques with forged amounts. He also failed to exercise his duty by not retaining vouchers of outward bills for collection in his custody till receipt of payment from outward branches, which helped the accused Falak Sher in replacing vouchers after collection of proceeds, who subsequently credited the amount either in his own account or a Benami account. Accused Muhammad Hayat also issued cheque books without giving account numbers on the cheques, cancelled cheques without checking the specimen signature cards and being a cashier he made payments of cheques having forged/altered amounts without receiving actual instruments/cheques.
According to the reference, the above accused with aid and assistance of each other misused their authorities, committed forgery and got an illegal gain of a sum of Rs 10,092 million causing loss to the bank. The accused Falak Sher never joined the investigation and is still an absconder.
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