Multi-billion-rupee fake bank accounts case: NAB decides to file 11th reference

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday decided to file 11th corruption reference in multi-billion fake bank accounts case against chairman Overseas Cooperative Housing Society Limited (OCHSL) (Kidney Hill) Karachi, former chairman Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Muhammad Ijaz Haroon, OMNI group's Abdul Ghani Majeed, and others on charge of illegal allotment of plots of the OCHSL.

An official said the decision to file corruption reference against Haroon, Majeed, and others was taken in the NAB's executive board meeting (EBM) presided over by the NAB chairman Javed Iqbal.

The NAB has decided to file reference against the accused on their involvement in illegal allotment of plots in the OCHSL Karachi, and payment of those plots through fake bank accounts which incurred huge losses to the national exchequer, according to an official statement issued by the NAB.

However, the NAB's statement did not mention the name of Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwala, who has also appeared before the bureau in the same case and according to a document submitted by the NAB investigation officer Mudassar Hussain, before the accountability court-I that he was authorised to investigate the case.

"The accused Haroon and Saleem Mandviwalla in connivance with each other embezzled the government land through illegal and fraudulent allotment of plots of OCHSL and received unlawful and illegal gains of Rs144.2 million from fake bank accounts namely A-One International and Lucky International under the garb of business deal or property transaction with Abdul Ghani Majeed," the document says.

According to the document, "the accused Mandviwalla coordinated the said property deal and received illegal gains of Rs64.2 million out of total crime proceeds of Rs144.2 million and utilised the sake for his personal gains by using mandate to operate his brother company account no 6500002687 titled Mandviwalla brothers. The accused Mandviwalla utilized same account for purchase of 3,108,000 shares of Mangla View Resort Pvt Ltd, valuing Rs 31,080,000 in the name of his employee/associate Tariq Mehmood."

It says that "the above said amount from which shares were purchased belonged to accused Mandvidwalla. There is great likelihood that above mentioned shares will be sold out with purpose to create hardship in the recovery of the crime proceeds. Therefore, it is requested that freezing order passed by Director General (DG) NAB on November 11, 2020 be confirmed."

The AC-I judge Muhammad Bashir on November 24 endorsed the freezing order. Later, on December 8th, Tariq Mehmood, an employee or alleged bemamidar of Mandviwalla, challenged the court order and court sought reply of the NAB. The NAB submitted on December 18 its reply with respect to Mehmood's petition, and court will hear arguments of the counsel of Mehmood regarding the NAB's reply on January 6th.

The NAB has so far filed 11 corruption references out of total of 43 fake accounts cases in the current year. As many as 11 fake accounts cases are at investigation stage, while 21 are at inquiry stage. The official said that the bureau also authorised to start corruption inquiry against the officers/officials of the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation.

He said meeting also approved to refer the complaint regarding negligence in performance of official duty by official/officers of customs deployed at Sost Dry Port to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for further proceedings as per law.

According to the statement, the EBM said that NAB always believes in respecting the sanctity and respect of parliament and parliamentarians. Business community play important role in the progress and prosperity of the country. The NAB strongly denied the impression that the business community is perturbed due to the NAB's action.

The NAB always believes in performing its duties in accordance with the law. The business community and all other segments of Pakistani communities also desire the transformation of the country into a prosperous, corruption free, and developed country, it says.

The NAB has outrightly rejected and brushed aside the impression of some elements about death of the accused person in its custody, adding that such baseless and misleading allegations cannot stop the NAB from performing its legal and constitutional obligations to eradicate corruption from the country.

The NAB has decided to initiate probe against the baseless, misleading, concocted and fabricated propaganda against the NAB in order to tarnish its image and repute as an institution under Clause 31 (a) of the NAB Ordinance.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020