National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approved a reference against the employee of Consulate of Pakistan at Houston USA for his alleged involvement for issuing forged passports. This approval was made in a meeting of the Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) held here Thursday.
Chairman NAB Nawid Ahsan presided over the meeting that was attended by Prosecutor General Accountability, Director General Awareness & Prevention, Acting Director General Financial Crimes Investigation Wing, Director General Operations, Deputy Prosecutor General Accountability, Chief of Staff and Directors.
The Board approved reference against Muhammad Naeem for issuing forged and fake passports. According to details, the accused working as assistant in the Consulate of Pakistan Houston USA was authorised to sign passports issued to Pakistani applicants in case of theft, loss or for renewal purposes.
On receipt of written complaint on March 20, from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an inquiry was authorised against the accused for involvement in unlawful issuance of Pakistani passports by misusing his authority. The inquiry was later converted into investigation.
The accused Muhammad Naeem was responsible for receipt of application forms along with the money orders for the specified amount according to the type of passport like renewal of passport, urgent passport and lost passports from the individuals approaching the Consulate for preparation of passports. The investigation revealed that the accused misused his authority and issued fake passports to a large number of persons in violation of the rules.
The accused at the behest of Muhammad Imran Lalpuri, a Pakistani Travel Agent, issued 300 passports violating all the instructions and after accepting fake and incomplete documents.
Accused was arrested on March 25 and is in judicial custody. The evidence as to the involvement of Ghulam Rasool Baloch, Consulate General, Muhammad Imran Lalpuri a Pakistani Travel Agent and others who obtained passports on the basis of false documents is being collected. The Board approved another reference against Zia Rashid, ex-Chairman Orient Industrial Society Ltd (OICSL) and eleven others.
According to the investigation, the accused in connivance with one another dishonestly and fraudulently deceived public at large and looted innocent persons by misappropriating a sum of Rs 42.614 million being owned by members of OICSL.
All the accused committed offence of criminal breach of trust by dishonestly misappropriating the amount of depositors, deceitfully and fraudulently causing loss to a co-operative society and disappearance of record and evidence. The Board closed investigation against Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, Deputy Director, FIA due to lack of prosecutable evidence. The Executive Board also reviewed progress on the decisions taken during the previously held meetings.