EOBI scam: DHA allowed to withdraw Rs 420 million to pay for bills, salaries

The Supreme Court Tuesday allowed Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Rawalpindi/Islamabad to withdraw Rs 420 million for employees' salaries and payment of utility bills and sought a bank guarantee from the Authority to unfreeze its Rs 6 billion account.
Resuming the hearing of a suo motu notice on multimillion rupee scam in Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), a three-member bench led by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar turned down the plea of former Chairman of the Institution Zafar Gondal for extension in his protective bail, suggesting that he can approach the trial court for the purpose. From the onset of hearing, Justice Nisar remarked "the court shall ensure the recovery of the amount with a mark-up".
Appearing on behalf of the DHA, former Attorney General for Pakistan Irfan Qadir apprised the bench that his client sold out the properties to EOBI against an amount of Rs 22 billion. Qadir expressed reservations on the EOBI decision to return the properties to the sellers and urged the court to unfreeze the DHA accounts frozen in pursuance of court's orders. The bench asked Deputy Attorney General for Pakistan Sajid Ilyas Bhatti if there were any criminal proceedings against any officer of the DHA in connection with the instant matter; to which the court was told that no case was registered against anybody and the investigation was continuing for a year.
Justice Nisar queried the justification behind freezing DHA accounts if there was no FIR against the Authority and directed Qadir to submit a bank guarantee so that the Authority's accounts could be restored. Tariq Mehmood, the counsel for Eden Housing Authority, informed the court that his client had deposited Rs 976 million in response to a court's order in the instant matter.
Justice Nisar inquired the status of the mark-up of the amount but the counsel was not able to satisfy the bench. The bench then asked him to ensure the presence of the Chief Executive of the Housing Authority on the next date of hearing. The hearing of case was adjourned till next week.